Design of Short Peptides for the Reduction of Silver Ions and Stabilization of Nanocomposites in Combating Bacterial Infections

Combating bacterial infections has become a formidable challenge in healthcare due to the rise of antibiotic resistance. Recently, short peptide-based nanobiomaterials, assembled through silver metal and peptide building blocks, have emerged as promising antibiotic agents for treating resistant bacterial infections. In this minireview, recent advances in silver-peptide nanocomposites are highlighted, both with and without the assistance of UV or sunlight, for antibacterial applications. The chemical design of biomolecules such as amphiphilic short peptides, amino acids, and oligopeptides plays a crucial role in the reduction, stabilization, and biocompatibility of silver-peptide nanocomposites. Noncovalent interactions involved in the formation of nanocomposites are explored in the context of the structure–function relationship. The antibacterial activities and underlying mechanisms, which depend on specific peptide building blocks, are also reviewed. Finally, the conclusion and the outlook provide insights into the design of novel peptide building blocks for the development of silver-peptide nanocomposites with enhanced antibacterial activities.