Mechanism-guided design of photocatalytic MoS₂ interfaces for antimicrobial applications: From defect engineering to...

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) has emerged as a versatile two-dimensional nanomaterial for antimicrobial applications, owing to its tunable electronic structure, high surface area, and ability to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon light irradiation. However, despite the growing number of studies, a unified framework linking material design to antimicrobial performance remains lacking. This review provides a comprehensive, mechanism-oriented analysis of photocatalytic MoS₂, integrating synthesis strategies, defect engineering, and morphology control, and examining their impact on ROS generation and microbial inactivation. Key approaches, including hydrothermal synthesis, exfoliation, and deposition techniques, are critically evaluated for their ability to tailor structural features such as nanoscale morphology, phase composition, and sulfur vacancy density. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of heteroatom doping and defect engineering in enhancing charge separation, surface reactivity, and interfacial interactions with microbial cells. The relationship between structure and function is further examined across different morphologies, highlighting how nanosheets, nanoflowers, and quantum dots influence antimicrobial efficiency through synergistic photodynamic, photothermal, and mechanical mechanisms. In addition, recent advances in integrating MoS₂ into functional platforms, including antimicrobial coatings, biomedical surfaces, and water treatment systems, are discussed, with a focus on performance under realistic conditions. Finally, current challenges related to scalability, structural stability, and biocompatibility are critically addressed, and future research directions are proposed to develop robust, selective, and application-ready antimicrobial systems. This work establishes a design-oriented perspective to guide the rational development of next-generation MoS₂-based photocatalytic materials for microbial control.