A One-Pot Synthesis of Light-Responsive COF for Treatment of Drug-Resistant Bacterial Infections

The rapid rise of bacterial resistance has highlighted the urgent need for nonantibiotic antibacterial strategies. Herein, we report a facile one-pot synthesis of covalent organic framework nanospheres (DT-COF NS) with a uniform diameter of ∼600 nm under mild conditions. The as-prepared DT-COF NS exhibit pronounced photoactivity under visible light irradiation and generate multiple reactive oxygen species (ROS), including hydroxyl radicals (•OH), superoxide anions (O₂•-), singlet oxygen (¹O₂), and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), via a type I photodynamic pathway. Benefiting from this efficient ROS production, the COF nanospheres achieved over 99% bactericidal efficiency against both MRSA and Escherichia coli in vitro and in vivo level. Compared with conventional DT-COF NS synthesis routes requiring harsh conditions or complex templates, our strategy offers a simple, mild, and scalable approach. These findings demonstrate the great potential of DT-COF NS as next-generation photoactive antibacterial materials, paving the way for their future applications in advanced antimicrobial systems.