Flexibility, Photothermal Property, Antibacterial Ability, and Mineralization Activity of Cu/Mn-Doped Inorganic Nanofibers

Abstract

Inorganic nanofibers have emerged as a promising frontier in biomedical research thanks to their unique nanomorphology and bioactivity. Furthermore, the ions released from these inorganic biomaterials play a crucial role in determining cell identity and driving tissue-specific functions. Notably, Cu and Mn, which are essential trace elements in the human body, play significant roles in promoting bone health and participating in metabolic processes. Therefore, in this study, a series of Cu/Mn-doped SiO₂–CaO composite nanofibers (CNFs) prepared by sol–gel electrospinning were obtained, and their morphology, flexibility, mineralization property, photothermal property, and antibacterial activity were studied. Experimental research has shown that the 2.5Cu and 2.5Mn CNFs calcined at 800 °C have the best flexibility, and as the Cu/Mn content or calcination temperature increases, the flexibility of CNFs decreases. In addition, 10Cu and 10Mn CNFs calcined at 800 °C have the best photothermal property, reaching temperatures of 65 and 62 °C under near-infrared irradiation (NIR) of 2 W cm^–2 in the wet state, respectively, and the increase in calcination temperature results in decreased photothermal temperatures. The bacterial inhibition rates of CNFs (5Cu and 5Mn) with and without NIR are over 89 and 68%, respectively. The mineralization experiment also proved that Cu/Mn-doped CNFs have excellent mineralization activity. Therefore, these Cu/Mn-doped CNFs with excellent flexibility, photothermal property, mineralization activity, and antibacterial ability show great application potential in the treatment of tumors and bone defect-related diseases.