Surface-modified, zinc-incorporated mesoporous silica nanoparticles with improved antibacterial and rapid hemostatic properties

Severe bleeding and bacterial infections pose significant challenges to the global public health. Effective hemostatic materials have the potential to be used for rapid control of bleeding at the wound site. In this study, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) were doped with zinc ions (MSN@Zn) and subsequently functionalized with carboxyl (-COOH) groups through post-grafting, resulting in (MSN@Zn-COOH). The results demonstrated the successful functionalization of carboxyl groups on the surface of MSN@Zn mesoporous materials with minimal impact on the morphology. The released zinc ions showed potent antibacterial activity (above ∼80 %) against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). In vitro and in vivo assessments of MSN@Zn-COOH revealed excellent hemostatic effects and favorable blood compatibility. Hemolysis percentages associated with MSN@Zn-COOH exhibited noteworthy reductions in comparison to MSN. Furthermore, a decrease in APTT (a test evaluating the intrinsic coagulation pathway) of modified MSN@Zn indicated enhanced hemostasis, supported by their negative zeta potential (∼ –14 to –43 mV). Importantly, all samples showed no cytotoxicity. This work underscores the potential of MSN@Zn-COOH, with its combined hemostatic performance and antibacterial activity, for emergency clinical applications.