All-in-One Photocatalytic-Photothermal-SERS Nanoknives Platform for Solar-Driven Inactivation of Antibiotic-Resistant Superbugs and Selective Azoaromatic Synthesis
- 1Jackson State University , , , ,
Abstract
Harnessing sunlight-driven renewable energy provides a sustainable strategy for the rapid eradication of antibiotic-resistant superbugs and selective organic synthesis. However, the development of highly efficient solar photocatalytic materials remains a significant challenge. Herein, we report the rational design of a plasmonic MXene-Ag@Au-nanostar based all-in-one photocatalytic-photothermal-SERS nanoknives platform that harnesses solar energy to simultaneously achieve highly efficient inactivation of antibiotic-resistant superbugs and selective azoaromatic synthesis. By synergistically integrating broad-spectrum solar harvesting (350–950 nm), high photothermal conversion efficiency (∼70%), intense SERS enhancement, and efficient hot-electron and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, the heterostructure delivers exceptional photocatalytic activity toward selective azoaromatic synthesis. Under solar irradiation, the multifunctional nanoplatform promotes the selective oxidation of 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) to 4,4′-dimercaptoazobenzene (4,4′-DMAB) with conversion yields exceeding 69%, while enabling the selective reduction of 4-nitrothiophenol (4-NTP) to 4,4′-DMAB with conversion efficiencies greater than 72%. Mechanistic investigations further demonstrated that ROS, photothermal heating, and hot-carrier transfer collectively contribute to the remarkably enhanced photocatalytic performance. Furthermore, the heterostructure achieved rapid solar-driven inactivation of carbapenem-resistant E. coli, multidrug-resistant Salmonella DT104, and MRSA superbugs, within 15–25 min of irradiation. Mechanistic investigations revealed that the outstanding superbug inactivation activity originated from the synergistic interplay of MXene nanoknives that physically disrupted bacterial membranes, which facilitates the penetration of ROS into bacterial cells, resulting in severe oxidative stress and rapid cell death. Collectively, this work establishes a strategy for designing active-site-engineered “All-in-One” platforms for sustainable solar-driven chemical synthesis and rapid superbug inactivation.
Related
- Synthesis of phytochemical-enriched MgO nanoparticles using Sonneratia ovata leaf extract for photocatalytic activity and inactivation of bacteria
- Photocatalytic degradation of an antibiotic in aqueous solution using ZnO.
- Carbon dot/TiO₂ nanocomposites for photocatalytic antibiotic degradation: interfacial engineering, degradation mechanisms, and environmental remediation.
- In Pursuit of Enduring Inactivation: A Perspective on the Development and Study of Irreversible-Covalent Inhibitors.
- Infrared Photothermal Heterodyne Imaging in Thermally Thick Medium for Thermo-optic Property Characterizations
BibTeX
@article{rai2026allinone,
title = {{All-in-One Photocatalytic-Photothermal-SERS Nanoknives Platform for Solar-Driven Inactivation of Antibiotic-Resistant Superbugs and Selective Azoaromatic Synthesis}},
author = {Shivangee Rai and Olorunsola Praise Kolawole and Silas Dillon and Ronak Nana and Megan Davis and Ashvik Senthil and Avijit Pramanik and Sanchita Kundu and Paresh Chandra Ray},
journal = {ACS Omega},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1021/acsomega.6c08701},
url = {https://pubs.acs.org/acsodf/article/11/41/63944/5444264/All-in-One-Photocatalytic-Photothermal-SERS},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - All-in-One Photocatalytic-Photothermal-SERS Nanoknives Platform for Solar-Driven Inactivation of Antibiotic-Resistant Superbugs and Selective Azoaromatic Synthesis
AU - Shivangee Rai
AU - Olorunsola Praise Kolawole
AU - Silas Dillon
AU - Ronak Nana
AU - Megan Davis
AU - Ashvik Senthil
AU - Avijit Pramanik
AU - Sanchita Kundu
AU - Paresh Chandra Ray
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/04
JO - ACS Omega
DO - 10.1021/acsomega.6c08701
UR - https://pubs.acs.org/acsodf/article/11/41/63944/5444264/All-in-One-Photocatalytic-Photothermal-SERS
AB - Harnessing sunlight-driven renewable energy provides a sustainable strategy for the rapid eradication of antibiotic-resistant superbugs and selective organic synthesis. However, the development of highly efficient solar photocatalytic materials remains a significant challenge. Herein, we report the rational design of a plasmonic MXene-Ag@Au-nanostar based all-in-one photocatalytic-photothermal-SERS nanoknives platform that harnesses solar energy to simultaneously achieve highly efficient inactivation of antibiotic-resistant superbugs and selective azoaromatic synthesis. By synergistically integrating broad-spectrum solar harvesting (350–950 nm), high photothermal conversion efficiency (∼70%), intense SERS enhancement, and efficient hot-electron and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, the heterostructure delivers exceptional photocatalytic activity toward selective azoaromatic synthesis. Under solar irradiation, the multifunctional nanoplatform promotes the selective oxidation of 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) to 4,4′-dimercaptoazobenzene (4,4′-DMAB) with conversion yields exceeding 69%, while enabling the selective reduction of 4-nitrothiophenol (4-NTP) to 4,4′-DMAB with conversion efficiencies greater than 72%. Mechanistic investigations further demonstrated that ROS, photothermal heating, and hot-carrier transfer collectively contribute to the remarkably enhanced photocatalytic performance. Furthermore, the heterostructure achieved rapid solar-driven inactivation of carbapenem-resistant E. coli, multidrug-resistant Salmonella DT104, and MRSA superbugs, within 15–25 min of irradiation. Mechanistic investigations revealed that the outstanding superbug inactivation activity originated from the synergistic interplay of MXene nanoknives that physically disrupted bacterial membranes, which facilitates the penetration of ROS into bacterial cells, resulting in severe oxidative stress and rapid cell death. Collectively, this work establishes a strategy for designing active-site-engineered “All-in-One” platforms for sustainable solar-driven chemical synthesis and rapid superbug inactivation.
SN - 2470-1343
ER -