Uniform polypyrrole (PPy) nanoparticles are fabricated from a facile one-step aqueous dispersion polymerization. Owing to their high photothermal conversion efficiency and photostability compared with the well-known Au nanorods, as well as their good colloidal stability and biocompatibility, the resulting PPy nanoparticles can used as a novel promising photothermal ablation coupling agent for targeted treatment of cancer.

Nanozymes have become a new generation of antibiotics with exciting broad-spectrum antibacterial properties and negligible biological toxicity. However, their inherent low catalytic activity limits their antibacterial properties. Herein, Cu single-atom sites/N doped porous carbon (Cu SASs/NPC) is successfully constructed for photothermal-catalytic antibacterial treatment by a pyrolysis-etching-adsorption-pyrolysis (PEAP) strategy. Cu SASs/NPC have stronger peroxidase-like catalytic activity, glutathione (GSH)-depleting function, and photothermal property compared with non-Cu-doped NPC, indicating that Cu doping significantly improves the catalytic performance of nanozymes. Cu SASs/NPC can effectively induce peroxidase-like activity in the presence of H 2 O 2 , thereby generating a large amount of hydroxyl radicals (•OH), which have a certain killing effect on bacteria and make bacteria more susceptible to temperature. The introduction of near-infrared (NIR) light can generate hyperthermia to fight bacteria, and enhance the peroxidase-like catalytic activity, thereby generating additional •OH to destroy bacteria. Interestingly, Cu SASs/NPC can act as GSH peroxidase (GSH-Px)-like nanozymes, which can deplete GSH in bacteria, thereby significantly improving the sterilization effect. PTT-catalytic synergistic antibacterial strategy produces almost 100% antibacterial efficiency against Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ( MRSA ). In vivo experiments show a better PTT-catalytic synergistic therapeutic performance on MRSA-infected mouse wounds. Overall, our work highlights the wide antibacterial and anti-infective bio-applications of Cu single-atom-containing catalysts.

Photoacoustic tomography (PAT) has emerged as a hybrid, nonionizing imaging modality because of its satisfactory spatial resolution and high soft tissue contrast. Here, we demonstrate the application of a novel organic PAT contrast agent based on polypyrrole nanoparticles (PPy NPs). Monodisperse PPy NPs are ∼46 nm in diameter with strong absorption in the near-infrared (NIR) range, which allowed visualization of PPy NP-containing agar gel embedded in chicken breast muscle at a depth of ∼4.3 cm. Compared with PAT images based on the intrinsic optical contrast in mice, the PAT images acquired within 1 h after intravenous administration of PPy NPs showed the brain vasculature with greater clarity than hemoglobin in blood. Preliminary results showed no acute toxicity to the vital organs (heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys) in mice following a single imaging dose of PPy NPs. Our results indicate that PPy NPs are promising contrast agents for PAT with good biocompatibility, high spatial resolution and enhanced sensitivity.

An in situ forming hydrogel has emerged as a promising wound dressing recently. As physically crosslinked hydrogels are normally unstable, most in situ forming hydrogels are chemically cross-linked. However, big concerns have remained regarding the slow gelation and the potential toxicity of residual functional groups from cross-linkers or the polymer matrix. Herein, we report a sprayable in situ forming hydrogel composed of poly(Nisopropylacrylamide 166 -co-n-butyl acrylate 9 )-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide 166 -co-n-butyl acrylate 9 ) copolymer (P(NIPAM 166 -co-nBA 9 )-PEG-P(NIPAM 166 -co-nBA 9 ), denoted as PEP) and silver-nanoparticles-decorated reduced graphene oxide nanosheets (Ag@rGO, denoted as AG) in response to skin temperature. This thermoresponsive hydrogel exhibits intriguing sol−gel irreversibility at low temperatures for the stable dressing of a wound, which is attributed to the inorganic/polymeric dual network and abundant coordination interactions between Ag@rGO nanosheets and PNIPAM. The biocompatibility and antibacterial ability against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) of this PEP-AG hydrogel wound dressing are confirmed in vitro and in vivo, which could transparently promote the healing of a MRSA-infected skin defect.

Gelatin-stabilized copper sulphide nanoparticles with conjugated doxorubicin have been developed for combined photoacoustic imaging, enzyme-responsive drug release and photothermal therapy.

Antibacterial efficiency can be effectively improved by applying targeting antibacterial materials and strategies. Herein, the successful synthesis of uniform pH-responsive Ag nanoparticle clusters (AgNCs) is demonstrated, which can collapse and reassemble into nonuniform Ag NPs upon exposure to the acidic microenvironment of bacterial infections. This pH triggered reassembly contributes greatly to the improved antibacterial activities of AgNCs against both methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration against MRSA are as low as 4 and 32 µg mL −1 (which are 8 and 32 µg mL −1 for E. coli), respectively. In vivo skin wound healing experiments confirm AgNCs can serve as an effective wound dressing to accelerate the healing of MRSA infection. The development of responsive AgNCs offers new materials and strategies in targeting antibacterial applications.

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Colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC), in which chronic inflammation is a well-recognized carcinogen, requires concurrent anti-inflammation and antitumor treatments in the clinic. Herein, we report polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated (PEGylated) ultrasmall rhodium nanodots (Rh-PEG NDs) can serve as a metallic nanozyme with reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) scavenging properties as well as photothermal activities for anti-inflammation and antitumor theranostics in colon diseases. Benefiting from multienzyme activities against RONS, Rh-PEG NDs can decrease the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6), resulting in good anti-inflammatory effect on dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis. By virtue of high photothermal conversion efficiency (48.9%), Rh-PEG NDs demonstrate complete ablation of CT-26 colon tumor without any recurrence. Most importantly, Rh-PEG NDs exhibit good biocompatibility both at the cellular and animal levels. Our findings provide a paradigm to utilize metallic nanozymes for the potential management of colon diseases.