Daidi Fan, Jing Zhao (Northwest University, China), Guorui Jin (Xi’an Jiaotong University, China), and colleagues have engineered a photoactivatable peroxynitrite (ONOO⁻) generator with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics to combat stubborn biofilm infections.

By enhancing molecular electron-withdrawing ability and π-conjugation, the team designed +PyPTP-NO, a next-generation AIE molecule that efficiently releases nitric oxide (NO) and generates ONOO⁻ under light activation. To achieve localized therapy, the molecule was incorporated into a bilayer microneedle patch: its dissolvable tip delivers +PyPTP-NO to eradicate biofilms, while the base layer, loaded with recombinant collagen, promotes tissue regeneration.

According to the researchers, their molecular engineering breakthrough not only provides a generalizable strategy for designing high-performance ONOO⁻ generators but also establishes a biosafe and effective therapeutic platform for treating biofilm-associated wound infections. The study demonstrates how light-controlled molecular systems can overcome traditional photodynamic limitations, offering new opportunities for precision antimicrobial therapy and accelerated wound healing.

• Molecular Engineering of Aggregation-Induced Emission Peroxynitrite Generators for Biofilm Eradication via Bilayer Microneedles
  Xueli Gao, Junjun Ni, Tianyu Yao, Liang Guo, Xueqing Yu, Guorui Jin, Jing Zhao, Daidi Fan
  Aggregate 2025
  https://doi.org/10.1002/agt2.70181