Synergistic antibacterial effects of localized heat and oxidative stress caused by hydroxyl radicals mediated by graphene/iron oxide-based nanocomposites

A nanocomposite system of reduced graphene oxide-iron oxide nanoparticles (rGO-IONP) is synthesized for achieving synergetic effects in doing physical and chemical damage to methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). The rGO efficiently absorbs near infrared (NIR) energy and converts it to localized heat, doing physical damage to bacteria. The IONP catalyzes the degradation of H2O2, whose level is markedly elevated by local inflammation, to form highly reactive
- OH radicals via Fenton reactions, chemically damaging MRSA. The in vivo results suggest that combined treatment with rGO-IONP + NIR effectively inactivates the bacteria in subcutaneous abscesses and accelerates wound healing.149