ZnL₂-BPs Integrated Bone Scaffold under Sequential Photothermal Mediation—A Win-Win Strategy Delivering Antibacterial Therapy and Fostering Osteogenesis Thereafter

Implant-related infections are serious complications after bone surgery and can compromise the intended functions of artificial implants, leading to surgical failure and even amputation in severe cases. Various strategies have been proposed to endow bone implants with desirable antibacterial properties, but unfortunately, most of them inevitably suffer from some side effects detrimental to normal tissues. In this study, a multifunctional bone implant is designed to work in conjunction with sequential photothermal mediation, which can deliver antibacterial therapy (<50 °C) in the early stage and foster bone regeneration (40–42 °C) subsequently. Black phosphorus nanosheets (BPs) are coordinated with zinc sulfonate ligand (ZnL₂), and the ZnL₂-BPs are integrated into the surface of hydroxylapatite (HA) scaffold to produce ZnL₂-BPs@HAP. In this design, BPs produce the photothermal effects and ZnL₂ increases the thermal sensitivity of peri-implant bacteria by inducing envelope stress. The biosafety of the antibacterial photothermal treatment is improved due to the mild temperature, and furthermore, the gradual release of Zn²⁺ and PO₄^3– from the scaffold facilitates osteogenesis in the subsequent stage of bone healing. This strategy not only broadens the biomedical applications of photothermal treatment but also provides insights into the design of multifunctional biomaterials in other fields.