A Perfect Pair: Stabilized Black Phosphorous Nanosheets Engineering with Antimicrobial Peptides for Robust Multidrug Resistant Bacteria Eradication

Black phosphorus (BP) nanosheets emerged as promising 2D nanomaterial that have been applied to eradicate antibiotic-resistant bacteria. However, their applications are limited by intrinsic ambient instability. Here, the epsilon-poly-l-lysine (epsilon-PL)-engineered BP nanosheets are constructed via simple electrostatic interaction to cater the demand for passivating BP with amplified antibacterial activity. The dual drug-delivery complex named BP@epsilon-PL can closely anchor onto the surface of bacteria, leading to membrane disintegration. Subsequently, in situ hyperthermia generated by BP under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation can precisely eradicate pathogenic bacteria. In vitro antibacterial studies verify the rapid disinfection ability of BP@epsilon-PL against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) within 15 min. Moreover, epsilon-PL can serve as an effective protector to avoid chemical degradation of bare BP. The in vivo antibacterial study shows that a 99.4% antibacterial rate in a MRSA skin infection model is achieved, which is accompanied by negligible toxicity. In conclusion, this work not merely provides a new conjecture for protecting the BP, but also opens a novel window for synergistic antibiotic-resistant bacteria therapy based on antimicrobial peptides and 2D photothermal nanomaterial.

Automated summary

Engineered black phosphorus (BP) nanosheets with epsilon-poly-l-lysine (ε-PL) have been developed to enhance antibacterial activity and achieve in situ hyperthermia under near-infrared irradiation. The BP@ε-PL complex can effectively disinfect Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) within 15 minutes in vitro and achieve a 99.4% antibacterial rate in an MRSA skin infection model in vivo, with minimal toxicity.