Nanomaterial-based ROS-mediated strategies for combating bacteria and biofilms

Nowadays, bacterial infection has become a severe threat to human health worldwide. The arising of antibiotic-resistant bacteria resulting from antibiotic abusing further adds the burden of bacterial infection treatment. It is the first priority to find more antibiotic-free solutions for combating bacteria, especially multi-drug-resistant bacteria. Compared to other antibiotic-free solutions, reactive oxidative species (ROS)-mediated strategies have outstanding advantages. Highly active ROS can directly cause oxidative damage and are less possible to bring about bacterial resistance. Photodynamic therapy (PDT), sonodynamic therapy (SDT), and enzyme-like catalytic therapy are three main methods to massively manufacture ROS. With the rapid development of nanotechnology, nanoparticles have been widely used in PDT and SDT. Nanoparticles with enzyme-like activities are also extensively studied. In this review, we introduced the application of nanomaterials in three ROS-mediated methods for combating bacteria and biofilms, which might provide important insights for antibiotic-free antibacterial strategies. Graphic abstract