Bubble-propelled Janus Gallium/Zinc Micromotors for Active Treatment of Bacterial Infection.

We report a bubble-propelled Janus gallium/zinc (Ga/Zn) micromotor with good biocompatibility and biodegradability for active target treatment for bacteria, as a robust antibacterial platform. The Janus Ga/Zn micromotors are fabricated by asymmetrically coating liquid metal Ga on Zn microparticles, and display self-propelling movement in the imitative gastroenteric acid (pH 0.5) at a speed of up to 383 μm s -1 under the propulsion of hydrogen bubbles generated by the zinc-acid reaction. This motion of Ga/Zn micromotors is enhanced by the Ga-Zn galvanic effect. The produced Ga(III) cations due to the degradation of Ga/Zn micromotors are served as a built-in antibiotic agent. The movement improves the diffusion of Ga(III) and results in a significant increase of the antibacterial efficiency against H. pylori , compared with passive Ga microparticle. Such Ga/Zn micromotors combine the self-propulsion, good biocompatibility and biodegradability, and Ga-based antibacterial properties, providing a proof-of-concept for the active treatment of bacterial infections. PMID: 33481280 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Angewandte Chemie - Category: Chemistry Authors: Tags: Angew Chem Int Ed Engl Source Type: research