Ag-decorated multivariate metal-organic frameworks for enhanced sonodynamic therapy of bacterial infections in wound healing

The wide energy band gap and sluggish electron transfer efficiency of emerging metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) sonosensitizers severely impaired the therapeutic effectiveness of sonodynamic therapy (SDT). Herein, we prepare an engineered MOF composition consisting of multivariate MOFs and further in-situ surface decoration of Ag nanoparticles (Ag@UT) for enhanced SDT of bacterial infections in wound healing. By incorporating tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (TCPP) into zirconium-based MOFs and the surface decoration of Ag NPs, the energy band gap of the resultant multivariate MOF decreased from 3.45 eV to 2.11 eV, which greatly promote the generation of electron-hole pairs under ultrasound (US) excitation. Meanwhile, the Ag NPs co-catalysts accelerate the electron transfer and improve the efficiency of carrier utilization. Consequently, the Ag@UT presents a remarkable antibacterial effect in vitro and effectively promotes wound healing in vivo under US excitation, and the underlying Ag@UT-mediated bactericidal mechanism was firstly elucidated. This work provides insights into the design and optimization of MOFs component and structure via ingenious integration of ligands and surface decoration to achieve advanced SDT, paving the way for effective antibacterial treatments and other biomedical research.