Carbon@polypyrrole nanotubes as a photosensitizer in laser phototherapy of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

[Display omitted] •CNTs@PPy was synthesized.•Pseudomonas aeruginosa was treated with CNTs@PPy.•808-nm laser light irradiation of CNTs@PPy showed bactericidal activity.•Reactive oxygen species and leaked protein/nucleic acid were detected. Phototherapy has been offered as an alternative and promising antibacterial strategy to overcome the antibiotic resistance problem. This study evaluated the antibacterial and phototherapy effects of carbon nanotubes with a polypyrrole coating in a core@shell structure (CNTs@PPy) on Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). P. aeruginosa was treated with CNTs@PPy at different concentrations (50–500 μg mL−1) in dark or laser light irradiation with a wavelength of 808 nm, a power density of 1000 mW cm−2 for 20 min. Temperature increment, cell viability, formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and protein/nucleic acid leakage subsequent the P. aeruginosa treatment were evaluated. The results showed that near-infrared laser irradiation of CNTs@PPy caused to a temperature increment confirming the ability of powerful photokilling of P. aeruginosa in a photothermal route. On the other hand, while CNTs@PPy represented just a 30–50% P. aeruginosa killing rate in dark, laser irradiation of 250 and 500 μg mL−1 concentrations of CNTs@PPy resulted in a ˜70% P. aeruginosa killing rate, along with significant ROS production into the medium and protein and nucleic acid leakage from P. aeruginosa. These later effects were assigned to a photodynamic route activity of CNTs@PPy upon laser irradiation. Therefore, CNTs@PPy acted as a photosensitizer in both photothermal and photodynamic therapies to present an enhanced bactericidal activity to annihilate and destroyed the gram-negative bacteria P. aeruginosa, a cause of many infectious diseases.