Photodynamically Functionalized CoP/MoS2 Nanocomposites with Antibacterial Activity

Bacterial infection and antibiotic resistance bring great trouble to anti-infective treatment. Therefore, it is urgent to develop antibacterial materials with high efficiency as alternatives. Herein, we successfully synthesized a series of peroxidase-like CoP/MoS2 catalysts to strikingly enhance the photocatalytic antibacterial activity. After excitation by LED light, the CoP/MoS2 heterojunction composite exhibited a photocatalytic sterilizing rate of 97.2% toward S. aureus with a concentration of 1 mg/mL. Based on the theoretical discussion and experimental result analysis, it is concluded that the sharp edges of MoS2 nanosheets, excellent hydrophilicity of CoP/MoS2, and incorporation with the generation of reactive oxygen radicals endow the catalyst with rapid and effective photocatalytic bacterial killing activity. This study provides a promising strategy by using adhesive nanozymes in close proximity to the bacteria surface, which will guide the design and synthesis of heterojunction photocatalysts with nanozymes activity and high photocatalytic antibacterial efficiency.