Rapid eradication of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and biofilms by MXene and near-infrared light through photothermal ablation

With the development and rising of antimicrobial resistance, rapid and effective killings of bacteria are urgently needed, especially for antibiotic-resistant bacteria and bacterial biofilms that are usually hard to be treated with conventional antibiotics. Here, a rapid and broad-spectrum antibacterial strategy is demonstrated through photothermal ablation with MXene and light. Ti3C2 MXenes, when combined with 808 nm light, show significant antibacterial effects in just 20 min. The antibacterial strategy is effective to 15 bacterial species tested, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE). In addition, the rapid antibacterial strategy works for MRSA biofilms, by damaging the structures as well as killing bacteria in biofilms. Furthermore, the investigation of the antibacterial mechanisms shows that Ti3C2 with light kills bacteria mainly physically through inserting/contact and photothermal effect. This work broadens the potential applications of MXene and provides a way to eradicate bacteria and biofilms physically, without the likelihood of resistance development.