Ag functionalized SnS with enhanced photothermal activity for safe and efficient wound disinfection.

Severe bacterial infections have brought an urgent threat to our daily life, and photothermal therapy (PTT) has acted as an effective method to kill bacteria. Herein we decorated Ag on the surface of SnS (Ag@SnS), which has outstanding photothermal conversion capability and good biocompatibility. The decoration of Ag on SnS improved the absorption of near-infrared (NIR) light in comparison to SnS, resulting in a temperature increase of 50 °C after 5 min of NIR light irradiation (1.9 W cm) and a photothermal conversion efficiency of 31.3%. Ag@SnS exhibits almost 100% growth inhibition of E. coli and S. aureus bacteria due to hyperthermia, with a concentration larger than 0.5 mg mL and 5 min of NIR irradiation. Meanwhile, SEM images of treated bacterial cells showed the attachment of Ag@SnS on the cell surface and obvious cellular membrane destruction. Ag@SnS can also accelerate in vivo wound healing through PTT-induced bacterial disinfection. Therefore, Ag@SnS exhibits great potential for photothermal antibacterial application and wound disinfection.