Hydrogel-embedded gold nanorods activated by plasmonic photothermy with potent antimicrobial activity.

Plasmonic photothermal therapy (PPTT) has been used as an alternative to chemotherapy for the elimination of resistant microorganisms; however, its in situ evaluation has not been well studied. In the present study, we assessed the antimicrobial activity of a chitosan-based hydrogel embedded with gold nanorods (Ch/AuNRs) using a low power infrared diode laser. The antibacterial activity was measured in both Gram-positive and -negative strains, including clinical isolates of multidrug-resistant pathogens.