Ti-MOF-based biosafety materials for efficient and long-life disinfection via synergistic photodynamic and photothermal effects

Pathogenic bacterial infection is severely threatening public health globally. The multi-modal antibacterial nanoplatforms could significantly improve the antibacterial efficiency. Here, we report a metal(Ti)-organic framework (MOF) derived nanocarbon (C-Ti-MOF) as a biosafety material for synergistic sterilization of pathogenic bacteria via efficient photodynamic catalysis and robust photothermal effects. The C-Ti-MOF consists of abundant TiO2 nanodots embedded in graphitic carbon frameworks. Under visible light irradiation, TiO2 nanodots can catalyze H2O2 and O2 to produce superoxide anion (•O2–) and singlet oxygen (1O2), respectively. Meanwhile, under near-infrared irradiation (NIR), C-Ti-MOF can generate massive heat to destroy bacterial membranes. Systematic antibacterial experiments reveal that the C-Ti-MOF nanoagents have a long-lasting and nearly 100% bactericidal ratio at an extremely low dose (0.16 mg/mL), which is much better than the state-of-the-art TiO2 (Commercial TiO2 (P25), 0.64 mg/mL). Furthermore, the C-Ti-MOF can be electrospun into an antibacterial nanofiber membrane via mixing with polymeric matrix for treating bacteria-contaminated wastewater, and the membranes possess integrated antibacterial activity and excellent biocompatibility. Our study demonstrates a promising Ti-MOF-based biosafety material for efficient and long-life disinfection, which may stimulate new research in MOF-related biological applications in various disciplines ranging from water decontaminations to nanotherapeutics.