Defect-Modified nano-BaTiO₃ as a Sonosensitizer for Rapid and High-Efficiency Sonodynamic Sterilization

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Multidrug-resistant bacteria pose a significant global health threat, necessitating novel antibacterial strategies.
• Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) using piezocatalytic materials to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a promising antibiotic-free approach.
• Low ROS generation efficiency due to poor charge carrier concentration in piezoelectric materials limits current SDT efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer barium titanate (BTO) nanoparticles with controlled oxygen vacancy (Vo) concentrations to enhance ROS generation for improved SDT.
• To investigate the impact of Vo concentrations on piezocatalytic activity and sonodynamic antibacterial performance.
• To evaluate the in vivo efficacy of Vo-modified BTO for antibacterial treatment and skin tissue repair.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of self-doped barium titanate (BTO) with varying oxygen vacancy concentrations via facile thermal reduction at 350, 400, and 450 °C (BTO-350, BTO-400, BTO-450).
• Systematic study of the effect of Vo concentrations on ROS generation efficiency under ultrasound (US) irradiation.
• Assessment of sonodynamic antibacterial performance against *Escherichia coli* and *Staphylococcus aureus* in vitro and in vivo.

Main Results:

• BTO-400 exhibited the highest piezocatalytic activity and ROS generation efficiency.
• BTO-400 demonstrated excellent sonodynamic antibacterial performance against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria.
• In vivo studies confirmed BTO-400's effectiveness as an antibacterial agent and its ability to accelerate skin healing.

Conclusions:

• Oxygen vacancy engineering in nano-BaTiO3 significantly enhances ROS generation for efficient sonodynamic therapy.
• Vo-modified BTO shows great potential for rapid sterilization and effective skin tissue repair, offering a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics.