Doping‐engineered ferromagnetic nanoparticles-boosted piezotronic synergetic catalysis mediated rapid bactericidal therapies

Piezocatalytic process presents an effective alternative to photocatalysis for antibacterial treatment due to their degradation efficiency and tissue penetration; however, the necessity for a non-centrosymmetric structure and the prevalence of lead-based materials poses challenges. Therefore, it is essential to develop lead-free and highly efficient piezocatalytic materials to effectively kill bacteria. Herein, we propose a doping engineering design approach to achieve piezoelectric effect and improve the ROS quantum yield by introducing iron hard ferromagnetic element into spinel-phase zinc stannate (Zn 2 SnO 4 , ZTO) host matrix. Notably, a 5% Fe doping concentration transitions centrosymmetric structured zinc stannate from diamagnetic to ferromagnetic at room temperature, accompanied by a significant enhancement in intrinsic polarization behaviors driven by Fe-ion interactions with oxygen vacancies. The Fe 5.0 @ZTO sample exhibited a significantly enhanced ROS generation capability, and its degradation efficiencies reached 96.55% and 98.12% for Rhodamine B (RhB) under piezocatalytic and piezotronic conditions, respectively. More importantly, the Fe 5.0 @ZTO delivered outstanding antibacterial performance, achieving 91.8% and 100% inactivation of E. coli and 78.37% and 95.76% for S. aureus under piezocatalytic and piezotronic conditions, respectively. Furthermore, the cytocompatibility of the nanoparticles was validated. This work is expected to inspire further piezocatalysts designs utilizing centrosymmetric materials, ultimately enhancing the development of effective healthcare and environmental applications.