Mo-based Mo2Ti2C3 MXene as photothermal nanoagents to eradicating methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus with photothermal therapy

Over the last decades, two-dimensional (2D) materials have progressively yielded great outcomes sparking intense research owing to their unique configuration and physicochemical properties. Their current research has effectively been channeled for biomedical purposes. Among them is the largest family, 2D transitional metal carbides (MXenes). In this context, Mo2Ti2C3 (MTC) a form of MXenes with excellent photo-conversion capacity was fabricated and its rising popularity due to its potential for possible treatment of infectious diseases was probed. We demonstrated that MTC MXene's potentiality for the conversion of the photo to heat showed better efficacy in inhibiting the growth of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). MTC under laser treatment completely killed MRSA, a combined treatment that caused an irreversible antibacterial effect. Also, MTC impeded bacteria-associated infections by completely killing MRSA in an infected wound, preventing tissue proliferation, angiogenesis, and tissue inflammations, demonstrating good biocompatibility, a sure prospect for clinical translation. Furthermore, the collaborative work of the MTC and the local hyperthermia significantly ameliorated MRSA-induced subcutaneous infection and bacterial keratitis, preserving the structural wholeness and transparency of the infected cornea. This study suggests that MTC may serve as a potential platform to augment near-infrared (NIR) therapeutic eradication of bacteria actively and precisely.