Black phosphorus quantum dots for resistome mitigation: Mechanistic insights and rational engineering

Abstract

The emergence of antibiotic resistance as a global environmental challenge has intensified the need for advanced strategies capable of addressing antibiotic contamination while reducing the environmental drivers of resistance dissemination. Although black phosphorus quantum dot (BPQD)-based systems have demonstrated promising performance for photocatalytic antibiotic degradation, direct experimental evidence supporting the efficient elimination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) remains limited. In this context, BPQDs have attracted increasing attention as quantum-enabled nanomaterials with tunable structural, electronic, and interfacial properties for environmental applications. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the mechanistic principles governing BPQD behavior, including quantum confinement, surface chemistry, charge regulation, and structure–function relationships. The applications of BPQD-based platforms in antibiotic transformation, photocatalytic degradation, and emerging resistome-related remediation strategies are critically evaluated with emphasis on their underlying reaction mechanisms, engineered architectures, and current experimental limitations. Furthermore, this review highlights rational engineering approaches for developing next-generation BPQD systems through material design, stability control, environmental compatibility, and multifunctional performance. Future perspectives focus on the transition from empirical optimization to predictive design strategies that enable sustainable environmental remediation while identifying the critical knowledge gaps that must be addressed before BPQDs can be considered practical technologies for comprehensive resistome mitigation. Rather than presenting BPQDs as an established solution for resistome control, this review provides a mechanistic framework and design principles to guide future research toward integrated environmental remediation and scientifically validated resistome management.