Near-infrared Responsive Biphasic Antibacterial Mesoporous Bioactive Glass Composite Scaffolds: Preparation and Antibacterial Performance

doi:10.15541/jim20250030

Abstract

Abstract:

Bone implant-related infections are characterized by a high risk of delayed incidence or recurrence. Current antibacterial strategies often lack selectivity, leading to collateral damage to normal tissues and cells during bacterial eradication. To address this, mesoporous bioactive glass (MBG) was used as a base material in this study. By leveraging the near-infrared (NIR) photothermal response of S-NO bonds to release NO radicals and the antibacterial properties of Cu²⁺, MBG-RSNO powder was synthesized through amino-functionalized conjugation of S-nitrosothiols (RSNO) for nitric oxide free radicals (NO·) delivery, while PMBG@Cu powder was prepared via dopamine polymerization and Cu²⁺ chelation. These two powder materials were further processed through 3D printing to fabricate a PMBG@Cu/MBG-RSNO composite antibacterial scaffold. This scaffold demonstrated a strong NIR photothermal response, with pulsed 808 nm laser irradiation enabling the sustained release of NO· up to 113.71 μg per 100 mg of MBG-RSNO and increasing the temperature to approximately 40 ℃, facilitating efficient bacterial elimination. Antibacterial performance of the scaffold was evaluated using Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) as representative Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, respectively, with and without external NIR stimulation. The results revealed that the PMBG@Cu/MBG-RSNO composite scaffold achieved an antibacterial efficiency of 99.9% against both bacterial strains. In summary, the PMBG@Cu/MBG-RSNO composite scaffold offers a promising solution to address infection challenges in bone implant materials and supports bone defect repair.

Key words: mesoporous bioactive glass, antibacterial, nitric oxide, photothermal effect

CLC Number:

TQ171

ZHANG Bo, FU Yimin, CHEN Zheng, SHI Ao, ZHU Min. Near-infrared Responsive Biphasic Antibacterial Mesoporous Bioactive Glass Composite Scaffolds: Preparation and Antibacterial Performance[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, 2025, 40(10): 1137-1144.

Figures/Tables 7

Fig. 1 Schematic diagram of preparation and antimicrobial mechanism of PMBG@Cu/MBG-RSNO composite scaffold

Fig. 2 Physicochemical properties of MBG and modified powders (a) TEM image of MBG; (b) FT-IR spectra; (c) N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm curves; (d) Pore size distributions

Fig. 3 SEM images of PMBG@Cu/MBG-RSNO composite scaffold at different magnifications

Fig. 4 Photothermal response performance of PMBG@Cu/MBG-RSNO composite scaffold (a, b) Photothermal curves in (a) dry state environment and (b) wet state environment; (c) Photothermal cycling curves under 1.00 W/cm2 laser irradiation in dry state environment; (d-f) Thermal images under dry state environment at power densities of (d) 0.50, (e) 0.75 and (f) 1.00 W/cm2

Fig. 5 Analysis of NO· release from PMBG@Cu/MBG-RSNO composite scaffold (a) EPR spectra under continuous illumination for 15 and 60 min; (b) EPR spectra with a cumulative total illumination time of 15 min within 60 min under pulsed illumination; (c) Released content of NO·

Fig. 6 In vitro antibacterial effect and photothermal temperature analysis of PMBG@Cu/MBG-RSNO composite scaffold (a, b) Photos of (a) S. aureus group and (b) E. coli group; (c, d) OD values of (c) S. aureus and (d) E. coli under UV-Vis with asterisks indicating statistically significant difference of treatments vs. untreated culture (*** indicates p < 0.001); (e, f) The highest temperature of (e) S. aureus and (f) E. coli under 5 times pulsed illumination by 808 nm laser at a power density of 1.00 W/cm2

Fig. 7 Antimicrobial properties and SEM images of PMBG@Cu/MBG-RSNO composite scaffold with and without NIR illumination (a, b) Confocal images of (a) SYTO-9 and (b) PI staining for the blank group of S. aureus; (d, e) Confocal images of (d) SYTO-9 and (e) PI staining for PMBG@Cu/MBG-RSNO group of S. aureus; (g, h) Confocal images of (g) SYTO-9 and (h) PI staining for PMBG@Cu/ MBG-RSNO+NIR group of S. aureus; (c, f, i) SEM images of PMBG@Cu/MBG-RSNO composite scaffold with and without NIR illumination

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