Electrospinning near infra-red light-responsive unzipped CNT/PDA nanofibrous membrane for enhanced antibacterial effect and rapid drug release

Presently, efficient protection from bacterial infections is considered a potential threat owing to the raise of multidrug resistant bacterial phenotypes. Hence, there is an urgent requirement to develop alternative strategies for eliminating bacterial infections. In this regard, near infra-red (NIR) responsive photothermal agents (PTAs) has received significant attention. We report a mussel-inspired NIR-responsive unzipped CNT (uCNT)-based nanocomposite to combat against bacteria. The modification of mussel-inspired polydopamine (PDA) coating improved the NIR responsiveness and biocompatibility of uCNTs. The temperature of [email protected] increased by 40 °C upon exposure of 808 nm NIR light (1.0 W/cm2, 10 min) showing the excellent photothermal property. PCL/[email protected] nanofiber mats showed controlled photothermal heating upon low power density (0.5 W/cm2) NIR irradiation and exhibited robust mechanical strength up to 20 MPa (PCL/[email protected]). Taking advantage of photothermal effect and ROS generation, the nanofiber displayed remarkable antibacterial efficacy against Bacillus subtilis (gram positive) and Escherichia coli (gram negative) and displayed the release of curcumin in presence of NIR light. The fabricated PCL/[email protected] platform is bioactive, anti-oxidative, and non-toxic for human dermal fibroblast cells. Therefore, we anticipate that the developed [email protected] is a potential PTA and the fabricated nanofiber may provide a versatile platform for eradicating bacterial contamination in medical and non-medical sectors.