REVIEW

Hollow-structured nanoplatforms for photothermal synergistic therapy in bacterial infections

¹ State Key Laboratory of Biopharmaceutical Preparation and Delivery, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
² School of Chemical Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
³ College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518071, China

^* Corresponding authors (emails: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (Decai Zhao); This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (Dan Wang))

Received: 28 January 2026
Revised: 3 April 2026
Accepted: 16 April 2026

Abstract

In recent years, due to the commonality of bacterial infections and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance, non-invasive photothermal therapy (PTT) has been increasingly recognized as an effective antibacterial strategy with distinct advantages. Hollow-structured photothermal nanoplatforms are capable of not only enhancing photothermal performance but also serving as multifunctional antibacterial systems through cavity-enabled drug loading and diverse functional components, thus integrating multiple therapeutic modalities in a single platform and exhibiting substantial potential in antibacterial applications. In this review, the design and synthesis strategies of hollow-structured antibacterial materials are summarized, with a particular focus on their photothermal enhancement mechanisms and structure-property relationships. Additionally, the latest advances in hollow-structured photothermal therapy are discussed from the perspectives of diverse synergistic strategies and application scenarios. Finally, the current challenges and future perspectives are highlighted, where intelligent design and large-scale fabrication are expected to pave the way for antibacterial synergistic therapy of hollow structures.