Near infrared-caged D-amino acids multifunctional assembly for simultaneously eradicating biofilms and bacteria

A nanodevice composed of an upconverting nanoparticle (UCNP) core and a thin TiO2 shell surface modified with D-amino acids was designed. Due to the UCNP core, NIR light can be converted to high-energy UV photons. As a consequence, UV light can stimulate the TiO2 shell to produce antibacterial reactive oxygen species (ROS) and trigger the release of free D-amino acids (antibiofilm agents).