Bone defects caused by trauma, tumor resection, or bone dysplasia remain a major clinical challenge. Although 3D-printed titanium alloy scaffolds are widely used for bone repair, their susceptibility to bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation often compromises clinical outcomes. Here, we report the in situ synthesis of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2)-coated titanium alloy scaffolds (Ti-MoS2), together with their morphological characteristics, photothermal conversion capability, and antimycobacterial activity. The Ti-MoS2 exhibited excellent photothermal conversion efficiency. Three types of MoS2 morphologies were synthesized, namely, nanoflower MoS2, small-nanosphere MoS2, and large-nanosphere MoS2, among which the nanoflower structure exhibited the highest photothermal conversion efficiency. Under near-infrared irradiation (NIR), Ti-MoS2 effectively converted light into heat and catalyzed the decomposition of H2O2, resulting in synergistic antimycobacterial effects. In vitro assays against Mycobacterium smegmatis (M. smegmatis) demonstrated that Ti-MoS2 combined with NIR irradiation and H2O2 achieved an inhibition rate of up to 80%, which was significantly higher than that of any single treatment alone. Compared with previously reported antibiotic-loaded or surface-modified scaffolds, Ti-MoS2 provides a drug-free and stable antibacterial strategy with potential for clinical translation. This study highlights a promising method for the development of multifunctional titanium implants integrating bone regeneration and infection prevention.
Hou et al. (Wed,) studied this question.