Efficient Bacteria Killing by CuWS Nanocrystals with Enzyme-like Properties and Bacteria-Binding Ability.

Antibacterial agents with high antibacterial efficiency and bacteria-binding capability are highly desirable. Herein, we describe the successful preparation of CuWS nanocrystals (CWS NCs) with excellent antibacterial activity. CWS NCs with small size (∼20 nm) achieve more than 5 log (>99.999%) inactivation efficiency of both (Gram-positive) and (Gram-negative) at low concentration (<2 μg mL) with or without ambient light, which is much better than most of the reported antibacterial nanomaterials (including Ag, TiO, .) and even better than the widely used antibiotics (vancomycin and daptomycin). Antibacterial mechanism study showed that CWS NCs have both enzyme-like (oxidase and peroxidase) properties and selective bacteria-binding ability, which greatly facilitate the production of reactive oxygen species to kill bacteria. Animal experiments further indicated that CWS NCs can effectively treat wounds infected with methicillin-resistant (MRSA). This work demonstrates that CWS NCs have the potential as effective antibacterial nanozymes for the treatment of bacterial infection.