Engineering Coatings Inspired by Cell Membrane Thermal Dynamics to Enhance Photothermal Therapy and Osteogenesis for Implant Infections

Photothermal therapy (PTT) encounters challenges of rapid thermal loss and potential tissue damage. In response, we propose a Heat-Boost and Lock implant coating strategy inspired by the thermal adaptation of biological membranes, enabling precise local photothermal utilization. This coating incorporates a poly(tannic acid) (pTA) bridging layer on implants, facilitating stable layer-by-layer integration of a black phosphorus (BP) photothermal layer and a top cell membrane Heat-Boost and Lock layer. The cell membrane layer significantly curtails photothermal loss (extending the heat retention by 17.62%) and stores energy within its phospholipid bilayer, boosting photothermal effects near implants (achieving a temperature increasement of 275%). Theoretical analysis indicates that these local heat preservation properties of the cell membrane arise from its low thermal conductivity and phase-change properties. In a