Acrylate-functionalized porphyrin-covalent organic framework for bacterial-targeted and reaction-enhanced synergistic phototherapy/chemotherapy toward sterilization and wound healing

Porphyrinic covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have emerged as prospective materials in photodynamic and photothermal sterilization. However, it is still a great challenge to construct an efficient COF-based sterilizing agent with good photothermal and photodynamic properties and bacterial targeting ability. Herein, we report a multifunctional porphyrin-COF for bacterial-targeted and reaction-enhanced synergistic phototherapy/chemotherapy for sterilization and wound healing. The ordered crystal structure of the porphyrin-COF not only effectively avoids the self-aggregation-induced quenching of the porphyrin monomer, but also facilitates the storage and transport of singlet oxygen. The acrylate substituent in the other monomer serves as a bacterial targeting moiety and the in situ reaction site with the sulfhydryl group of the bacterial surface protein via a Michael addition reaction, thus fixing the bacteria on the surface of COF and making them lose the colonization ability. Furthermore, the bonding of COF and bacteria further amplifies the therapeutic efficiency of phototherapy. Therefore, the developed multifunctional sterilization platform not only provides a new strategy for the design of novel bactericidal materials but also broadens the biological applications of COF-based materials.

Automated summary

The research team successfully developed a multifunctional porphyrin-COF for targeted bacteria and synergistic phototherapy/chemotherapy to achieve sterilization and wound healing. The ordered crystal structure of the porphyrin-COF effectively avoids fluorescence quenching and facilitates the storage and transport of singlet oxygen. The acrylate substituent in the COF serves as a bacterial targeting moiety and reacts with the bacterial surface protein, fixing the bacteria on the COF surface and inhibiting colonization. The bonding of COF and bacteria further enhances the therapeutic efficiency of phototherapy.