Antimicrobial performance of novel persistent luminescence nanoparticles with afterglow-catalysis dual functions against Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA by nanozyme activity

In the treatment of foodborne antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, the use of bactericidal nanozymes is one of the most promising non-antibiotic therapeutic strategies. However, this approach faces problems such as the inability to monitor the bactericidal effect in real time. In this work, novel ZnGa 2 O 4 :Cr/Mn persistent luminescent nanoparticles (PLNPs) with dual functionality of afterglow and catalysis were directly synthesized. The ZnGa 2 O 4 :Cr/Mn PLNPs not only possess inherent near-infrared persistent luminescence but also exhibit peroxidase- and oxidase-like nanozyme activities, making them applicable to autofluorescence-free afterglow imaging and drug-resistant bacteria eradication. The nanozyme activity of PLNPs was optimized without compromising their afterglow properties, and the bactericidal efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA under acidic conditions was validated. These results provide a foundation for potential infection therapies. This dual-functional platform offers a new strategy for afterglow imaging-guided treatment of drug-resistant foodborne infections, with promising applications in food safety control, particularly for real-time tracking and elimination of Staphylococcus aureus contamination.