Fig. 2
![Fig. 2](http://media.springernature.com/full/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1186%2Fs12951-022-01538-y/MediaObjects/12951_2022_1538_Fig2_HTML.png)
(Reprinted with permission from [24]. Copyright (2017) American Chemical Society)
Metal NCs combat bacteria by releasing metal ions and inducing intracellular ROS generation. a Agar diffusion assay of zone inhibition by GSH-Ag+-R NCs, GSH-Ag0-R NCs, and ampicillin. b Schematic of possible antimicrobial mechanisms of GSH-Ag+-R NCs and GSH-Ag0-R NCs. Reprinted with permission from [22]. Copyright (2013) Tsinghua University Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. c AuNCs induced intracellular ROS production. d Differential expression of genes related with cell metabolism, substrate transport, membrane integrity, and cell transcriptomic process were greatly affected following the AuNCs treatment. Red indicates gene up-regulation, and green indicates gene down-regulation