Photothermal-Responsive Conjugated Polymer Nanoparticles for the Rapid and Effective Killing of Bacteria

The emergence of drug-resistant bacterial strains makes antimicrobial treatment a big challenge. Thus, more novel and effective antimicrobial agents and treatments are urgently desired. Herein, we developed a facile and rapid photothermal antimicrobial nanoplatform based on near-infrared (NIR)-active and photothermal-responsive conjugated polymer nanoparticles (CPNs) functionalized with cell-penetrating peptide (CPNs-Tat). With a positively charged Tat peptide, CPNs-Tat could enhance the interaction with bacteria cells with the formation of CPNs-Tat/bacteria aggregation. Under NIR irradiation, CPNs-Tat could convert the light into heat efficiently and produce local hyperthermia to kill bacteria within a few minutes. This photothermal-responsive strategy offers a rapid and effective modality for combating bacterial infections.