Issue 28, 2024

Thermosensitive curcumin/silver/montmorillonite-F127 hydrogels with synergistic photodynamic/photothermal/silver ions antibacterial activity

Abstract

Bacterial infections and the emergence of super-resistant bacteria pose a significant risk to human health. Effective sterilization to prevent the development of bacterial drug resistance remains a challenge. Herein, curcumin/silver/montmorillonite (Cur/Ag/Mt) was prepared through a green chemical reduction method with montmorillonite as the carrier, curcumin as the reducing agent and the capping agent, and citric acid as the structure guide agent. Then, a novel dual light-responsive and thermosensitive Pluronic F127-based hydrogel (CAM-F) was prepared by encapsulating Cur/Ag/Mt within the F127 hydrogel. The Cur/Ag/Mt showed strong absorption in the near-infrared region that efficiently converts light into heat for photothermal therapy when the molar ratio of curcumin to silver nitrate was 2 : 1. Specifically, triangular silver nanoparticles reduced by curcumin were immobilized on the Mt layers, which could enhance photodynamic therapy by the metal-enhanced singlet oxygen and metal-enhanced fluorescence mechanisms. Upon combining 405 nm and 808 nm laser irradiation, the CAM-F hydrogel could simultaneously generate reactive oxygen species, increase the local temperature, and sustain the release of Ag+, thus displaying excellent bactericidal performance against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. The antibacterial rates of CAM-F hydrogels were 99.26 ± 0.95% and 99.95 ± 0.98% for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. The findings suggest the potential of the CAM-F hydrogel as a stable, biologically safe, and broad-spectrum antimicrobial material. The thermosensitive CAM-F hydrogels for synergetic phototherapy may provide a promising strategy for solving clinical problems caused by pathogenic infections.

Graphical abstract: Thermosensitive curcumin/silver/montmorillonite-F127 hydrogels with synergistic photodynamic/photothermal/silver ions antibacterial activity

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 Kul 2024
Accepted
06 Kho 2024
First published
24 Kho 2024

J. Mater. Chem. B, 2024,12, 6874-6885

Thermosensitive curcumin/silver/montmorillonite-F127 hydrogels with synergistic photodynamic/photothermal/silver ions antibacterial activity

J. H. Liu, X. L. Chen, H. M. Yang, Y. R. Yin, A. Kurniawan and C. H. Zhou, J. Mater. Chem. B, 2024, 12, 6874 DOI: 10.1039/D4TB00431K

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements