AIEgen-loaded nanofibrous membrane as photodynamic/photothermal antimicrobial surface for sunlight-triggered bioprotection

Meng Li; Haifei Wen; Haoxuan Li; Zhi-Chao Yan; Ying Li; Lei Wang; Dong Wang; Ben Zhong Tang

doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.121007

AIEgen-loaded nanofibrous membrane as photodynamic/photothermal antimicrobial surface for sunlight-triggered bioprotection

Biomaterials. 2021 Sep:276:121007. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.121007. Epub 2021 Jul 3.

Authors

Meng Li¹, Haifei Wen², Haoxuan Li¹, Zhi-Chao Yan², Ying Li², Lei Wang², Dong Wang³, Ben Zhong Tang⁴

Affiliations

¹ Center for AIE Research, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Polymer Science and Technology, Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China; Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
² Center for AIE Research, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Polymer Science and Technology, Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
³ Center for AIE Research, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Polymer Science and Technology, Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China. Electronic address: wangd@szu.edu.cn.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Branch of Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong; Shenzhen Institute of Aggregate Science and Technology, School of Science and Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518172, China. Electronic address: tangbenz@ust.hk.

Abstract

The outbreak of infectious diseases such as COVID-19 causes an urgent need for abundant personal protective equipment (PPE) which leads to a huge shortage of raw materials. Additionally, the inappropriate disposal and sterilization of PPE may result in a high risk of cross-contamination. Therefore, the exploration of antimicrobial materials possessing both microbe interception and self-decontamination effects to develop reusable and easy-to-sterilize PPE is of great importance. Herein, an aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-active luminogen-loaded nanofibrous membrane (TTVB@NM) sharing sunlight-triggered photodynamic/photothermal anti-pathogen functions are prepared using the electrospinning technique. Thanks to its porous nanostructure, TTVB@NM shows excellent interception effects toward ultrafine particles and pathogenic aerosols. Benefiting from the superior photophysical properties of the AIE-active dopants, TTVB@NM exhibits integrated properties of wide absorption in visible light range, efficient ROS generation, and moderate photothermal conversion performance. A series of antimicrobial evaluations reveal that TTVB@NM could effectively inactivate pathogenic aerosols containing bacteria (inhibition rate: >99%), fungi (~88%), and viruses (>99%) within only 10 min sunlight irradiation. This study represents a new strategy to construct reusable and easy-to-sterilize hybrid materials for potential bioprotective applications.

Keywords: Aggregation-induced emission; Electrospinning; Personal protective equipment; Sunlight-triggered antimicrobial.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Anti-Infective Agents* / pharmacology
COVID-19*
Humans
Nanofibers*
SARS-CoV-2
Sunlight

Substances

Anti-Infective Agents