Electronic Structure Modulation of Ag2S by Vacancy Engineering for Efficient Bacterial Infection

Vacancy engineering can modulate the electronic structure of the material and thus contribute to the formation of coordination unsaturated sites, which makes it easier to act on the substrate. Herein, Ag2S and Ag2S-100, which mainly have vacancy associates V-AgS and V-AgSAg, respectively, are prepared and characterized by positron annihilation spectroscopy. Both experimental and theoretical calculation results indicate that Ag2S-100 exhibits excellent antibacterial activity due to its appropriate bandgap and stronger bacteria-binding ability, which endow it with a superior antibacterial activity compared to Ag2S in the absence of light. The in vivo antibacterial experiment using a mouse wound-infection model further confirms that Ag2S-100 has excellent antibacterial and wound-healing properties. This research provides clues for a deeper understanding of modulating electronic structures through vacancy engineering and develops a strategy for effective treatment of bacterial infections.