Fe3O4/BiOI/Ag Hollow Micromotors with Antibacterial Activity for Wound Healing

Abstract

Antibacterial micromotors with intriguing properties have represented frontiers of research in the biomedical and environmental fields. While single-powered micromotors still encounter some challenges for efficient propulsion in an intricate biological environment, herein, dual-propelled Fe₃O₄/BiOI/Ag (FBA) micromotors with hollow structure were synthesized via two facile steps without involving any sophisticated equipment. In this unique design, efficient propulsion of an FBA micromotor powered by magnetic stimuli/visible light was demonstrated. Impressively, the micromotor was capable of flexible propulsion with a remarkable velocity of 119.2 ± 5.9 μm s^–1 without addition of toxic fuel. Taking advantage of the locomotion, bacterial capture ability, and photocatalytic capacity, 1 × 10⁷ CFU mL^–1 Escherichia coli (E. coli) can be totally inactivated by hollow FBA micromotors. The ideal universality of FBA for antibacterial application toward Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) was confirmed. Besides, the FBA micromotors manifested antibiofilm capacity toward E. coli, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and P. aeruginosa. It is worth mentioning that they also displayed ideal biocompatibility and lower toxicity. More importantly, the FBA micromotors can effectively accelerate S. aureus-infected wound healing without causing adverse effects. This work offers an innovative strategy for facile design of dual-propelled micromotors for various environmental and biomedical applications.