Electroactive materials: Innovative antibacterial platforms for biomedical applications

Bacterial infection and antimicrobial resistance have been a severe worldwide threat to human health. Therefore, alternative antimicrobial strategies that avoid resistance mechanisms in bacteria are urgent. In the last decade, electroactive antibacterial materials have received tremendous attention for their flexible structural design, efficient antibacterial ability, green processability, and excellent safety. Here, the structural design and antibacterial mechanisms of various electroactive materials, including electrochemical materials, conductive materials, piezoelectric materials, and micro-batteries/galvanic couples, are reviewed. Moreover, the most common biomedical applications of electroactive antibacterial materials in bone tissue engineering, wound healing, medical catheters, oral healthcare, and wearable devices are described. The review also discusses the future challenges and perspectives associated with electroactive antibacterial materials. In general, electroactive materials will be an appealing platform to fight bacterial infection and play an essential role in the biomedical field.