Deep Red Light Driven Hydrogen Evolution by Heterojunction Polymer Dots for Diabetic Wound Healing

Abstract

We describe small heterojunction polymer dots (Pdots) with deep‐red light catalyzed H2 generation for diabetic skin wound healing. The Pdots with donor/acceptor heterojunctions showed remarkably enhanced photocatalytic activity as compared to the donor or acceptor nanoparticles alone. We encapsulate the Pdots and ascorbic acid into liposomes to form Lipo‐Pdots nanoreactors, which selectively scavenge •OH radicals in live cells and tissues under 650 nm light illumination. The antioxidant capacity of the heterojunction Pdots is ~10 times higher than that of the single‐component Pdots described previously. Under a total light dose of 360 J/cm2, the Lipo‐Pdots nanoreactors effectively scavenged •OH radicals and suppressed the expression of pro‐inflammatory cytokines in skin tissues, thereby accelerating the healing of skin wounds in diabetic mice. This study provides a feasible solution for safe and effective treatment of diabetic foot ulcers.