Electrochemical formation of distinct nanostructured MoS2 with altered antibacterial activity

Abstract Bacterial resistance accelerated by the antibiotics misuse remains threatening for the public health propelling continuous searches for safe and economical antibacterial agents. Two-dimensional (2D) molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) holds potential in biomedical applications. In this study, MoS2 of distinct nanostructure prepared by galvanostatic electrolysis exhibited pronounced antibacterial activities and identified effect on mature biofilm disaggregation. Significantly, compared with that of nanosheets, MoS2-nanoflowers showed relatively improved antibacterial performance. When incubated with produced nanomaterials, no detectable reactive oxygen species while an apparent oxidation ability towards glutathione oxidation was identified, suggesting MoS2-nanoflowers of higher specific surface area may cause more oxidation stress to bacteria upon contact than nanosheets. The study reveals the pivotal role of modulating MoS2 surface properties using electrochemical method related to the enhanced antibacterial activity.