Projects per year
Abstract
In combating bacterial infections, antibacterial nanomaterials offer a non-pharmacological alternative to conventional antibiotics. Biomass-derived lignin exhibits intrinsic antibacterial activity from polyphenolic motifs and can readily self-assemble into nanostructures due to its amphiphilicity. However, the formation of lignin nanoparticles (LigNPs) is governed by a delicate balance of noncovalent interactions, making assembly outcomes highly dependent on lignin source and fractionation process and thereby limiting precise control over the surface chemistry and functional-group presentation. Here we have developed a gallate-oriented surface engineering strategy that combines boronated lignin nanoparticles (BLigNPs) core with gallate derivatives (GDs) corona, enabling tunable surface chemistry and modulating their bactericidal activity to preferentially target Gram-negative or Gram-positive bacteria. Through spatially grafting redox-active pyrogallol moieties in a tannic acid (TA) corona, BLigNP-TA exhibited the highest antibacterial activity against S. aureus. In contrast, owing to the balanced hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity in a propyl gallate (PG) corona, BLigNP-PG showed the highest antibacterial activity against E. coli. Consistent with this interpretation, BLigNP-PG exhibited enhanced envelope association and permeabilization in both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, supporting a contact-associated antibacterial action via a multimodal and multitarget mechanism. Beyond planktonic bacteria, both corona designs enhance the nanoparticle association with biofilm-relevant interfaces and facilitate the nanoparticle transport within biofilms. Notably, BLigNP-PG exhibited good biocompatibility with fibroblasts and negligible toxicity in zebrafish, underpinning its translational potential as an antibacterial nanomaterial with high selectivity toward bacteria over mammalian cells.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 103517 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Materials Today Bio |
| Volume | 40 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Oct 2026 |
| MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
UN SDGs
This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities -
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
Keywords
- Lignin nanoparticle
- Gallate ester
- Surface chemistry
- Amphiphilic balance
- Antibacterial activity
- Biocompatibility
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'Gallate-oriented surface engineering of lignin nanoparticles for enhanced antibacterial activity'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Equipment
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Åbo Akademi Functional Printing Center
Toivakka, M. (PI), Rosenholm, J. (PI), Anttu, N. (PI), Bobacka, J. (PI), Huynh, T. P. (PI), Peltonen, J. (PI), Wang, X. (PI), Wilen, C.-E. (PI), Xu, C. (PI), Zhang, H. (PI) & Österbacka, R. (PI)
Faculty of Science and EngineeringFacility/equipment: Facility
Projects
- 2 Active
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XylBBP: Xylan Bottlebrush Polymer: Unimolecular Nanomaterials for Alternative Antimicrobial Solutions
Wang, X. (Principal Investigator)
01/09/25 → 31/08/29
Project: Research Council of Finland/Other Research Councils
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MADNESS: Centre of Excellence in Materials-driven solutions for combatting antimicrobial resistance
Rosenholm, J. (Principal Investigator), Porres Paltor, I. (Co-Principal Investigator), Bansal, K. (Coordinator), Lafond, S. (Co-Principal Investigator), Uppstu, P. (Co-Principal Investigator), Viitala, T. (Co-Principal Investigator), Wang, X. (Co-Principal Investigator), Wilen, C.-E. (Co-Principal Investigator), Xu, C. (Co-Principal Investigator), Zhang, H. (Co-Principal Investigator), Lu, Z. (Co-Investigator), Verma, J. (Co-Investigator), Kumar, V. (Co-Investigator), Frejborg, F. (Co-Investigator), Wang, S. (Co-Investigator), Ran, M. (Co-Investigator), Ma, X. (Co-Investigator), Yang, W. (Co-Investigator), Liang, S. (Co-Investigator), Zhang, Y. (Co-Investigator), Fan, L. (Co-Investigator), Chen, Y. (Co-Investigator), Wang, L. (Co-Investigator), Zhuang, P. (Co-Investigator), Rajan Prakash, D. (Co-Investigator), Howaili, F. (Co-Investigator), Gulshan, R. (Co-Investigator), Yadav, D. (Co-Investigator), Pathak, C. (Co-Investigator), Mustafa, R. (Co-Investigator), DarzianRostami, L. (Co-Investigator), Jafari Dargahlou, M. (Co-Investigator), Nygård, A. (Co-Investigator), Samrat, S. R. (Co-Investigator), Rexha, H. (Co-Investigator), Shiralizadeh Dezfuli, A. (Co-Investigator), Rahman Samrat, S. (Co-Investigator), Kohoolat, G. (Co-Investigator), Rezaeipour, Y. (Co-Investigator), Yadav, D. (Co-Investigator), Xia, Q. (Co-Investigator), Jafari Dargahlou, M. (Co-Investigator), Yang, W. (Co-Investigator) & Bayandori, M. (Co-Investigator)
01/01/24 → 31/12/28
Project: Foundation
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