Quaternized chitosan templated MoS₂ nanohybrids for photothermal-enhanced synergistic antibacterial therapy

Bacterial infections have become a fatal issue for human health. The excessive use of antibiotics leads to bacterial resistance. It is of great importance to develop alternate antimicrobial nanomaterials for effective antibacterial therapy. Herein, we developed a simple one-step hydrothermal method to construct the antibacterial nanoplatform based on chitosan quaternary ammonium salt functionalized molybdenum disulfide nanohybrids (MoS₂-QCS) with controllable morphology, surface composition, and structure. The photothermal performance of MoS₂-QCS nanohybrids can be successfully optimized by regulating the morphology, surface composition, and structure by QCS during hydrothermal synthesis. The optimized MoS₂-QCS nanohybrids demonstrated satisfactory photothermal effects, excellent colloidal stability, and enhanced bacterial adhesion. In vitro experiments verified the synergistic antibacterial efficacy of MoS₂-QCS nanohybrids, combining photothermal therapy with QCS to effectively inhibit both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The nanohybrids exhibited excellent biocompatibility, indicating the suitability for biomedical applications. In vivo studies demonstrated their potent antibacterial activity against S. aureus, along with accelerated wound healing and enhanced tissue regeneration with minimal inflammatory response. The current work proposed a simple and effective strategy for precisely designing nanoplatforms with controllable morphology, surface composition, and structure for synergistic antimicrobial therapy. These results confirmed the great potential of tailored MoS₂-QCS nanohybrids in effective synergistic antibacterial therapy.