Citation: Mengyao Gao, Shan Sun, Hengwei Lin, Cheng Yang. A multifunctional carbon dot-based nanoplatform for antibacterial therapy: Integrating photodynamic, photothermal, and gas treatments[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(2): 111055. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111055 shu

A multifunctional carbon dot-based nanoplatform for antibacterial therapy: Integrating photodynamic, photothermal, and gas treatments

Mengyao Gao ^a ,
Shan Sun ^{b, *,} ,
Hengwei Lin ^{b, *,} ,
Cheng Yang ^{a, *,}

a.
Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
b.
International Joint Research Center for Photo-responsive Molecules and Materials, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China

sunshan@jiangnan.edu.cn

linhengwei@jiangnan.edu.cn

cyang@jiangnan.edu.cn

Received Date: 20 December 2024
Revised Date: 5 March 2025
Accepted Date: 6 March 2025
Available Online: 8 March 2025

Figures(6)

Novel antibacterial strategies such as antibacterial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) have gained significant attention, however, relying on a single-treatment approach still faces challenges of insufficient therapeutic efficiency and the potential for drug resistance. In this study, a multimodal synergistic antibacterial nanoplatform by coupling a carbon monoxide (CO) donor (4-(3-hydroxy-4-oxo-4H-chromen-2-yl)benzoic acid (4-BA)) with carbon dots (CDs) is developed, referred to as CDs-CO, which integrates multiple antibacterial modes of aPDT, PTT, and gas therapy. This nanoplatform is designed for highly efficient antibacterial action with a low risk of inducing drug resistance. CDs are engineered to possess tailored functions, including deep-red light-triggered heat and singlet oxygen (¹O₂) production. After modification with 4-BA and exposure to 660 nm laser irradiation, CDs-CO exhibits favorable photothermal conversion efficiency (η = 52.7%), robust ¹O₂ generation, and ¹O₂-activated CO release. Antibacterial experiments demonstrated the excellent sterilization effects of CDs-CO against both Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), underscoring the enhanced antibacterial efficiency of this multimodal nanoplatform. This study offers a rational approach for designing multimodal synergistic antibacterial platforms, highlighting their potential for effectively treating bacterial infections.
- Carbon dot-based,
- Antibacterial,
- Photodynamic therapy,
- Photothermal therapy,
- Gas therapy
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