Differential Pd-nanocrystal facets demonstrate distinct antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria

Ge Fang, Weifeng Li, Xiaomei Shen, Jose Manuel Perez-Aguilar, Yu Chong, Xingfa Gao, Zhifang Chai, Chunying Chen (), Cuicui Ge () and Ruhong Zhou ()
Additional contact information
Ge Fang: Soochow University
Weifeng Li: Soochow University
Xiaomei Shen: Jiangxi Normal University
Jose Manuel Perez-Aguilar: IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center
Yu Chong: Soochow University
Xingfa Gao: Jiangxi Normal University
Zhifang Chai: Soochow University
Chunying Chen: National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China and Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Cuicui Ge: Soochow University
Ruhong Zhou: Soochow University

Nature Communications, 2018, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Noble metal-based nanomaterials have shown promise as potential enzyme mimetics, but the facet effect and underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. Herein, with a combined experimental and theoretical approach, we unveil that palladium (Pd) nanocrystals exhibit facet-dependent oxidase and peroxidase-like activities that endow them with excellent antibacterial properties via generation of reactive oxygen species. The antibacterial efficiency of Pd nanocrystals against Gram-positive bacteria is consistent with the extent of their enzyme-like activity, that is {100}-faceted Pd cubes with higher activities kill bacteria more effectively than {111}-faceted Pd octahedrons. Surprisingly, a reverse trend of antibacterial activity is observed against Gram-negative bacteria, with Pd octahedrons displaying stronger penetration into bacterial membranes than Pd nanocubes, thereby exerting higher antibacterial activity than the latter. Our findings provide a deeper understanding of facet-dependent enzyme-like activities and might advance the development of noble metal-based nanomaterials with both enhanced and targeted antibacterial activities.

Date: 2018
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-017-02502-3 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:9:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-017-02502-3

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02502-3

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().