Promoting photothermal antibacterial activity through an excited-state intramolecular proton transfer process

Abstract

The construction of an efficient photothermal antibacterial platform is a promising strategy for the treatment of drug-resistant bacterial infections. Herein, through the introduction of excited-state intramolecular proton transfer to promote the photothermal effect, N-(2,4-dihydroxybenzylidene)-4-aminophenol (DOA)–polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) systems (DPVA) can reach 55 °C within 10 s under irradiation. They show superior antibacterial behavior against drug-resistant bacteria and a therapeutic effect on infected skin wounds with only 100 s of irradiation, much faster than those of reported photothermal materials (5–10 min). This work provides a convenient approach to fabricate broad-spectrum antibacterial wound dressings for treating bacteria-infected wounds, greatly contributing to the design and applications of photothermal antibacterial platforms.