  We realise an antibacterial nanomaterial based on the self-limited assembly
of patchy plasmonic colloids, obtained by adsorption of lysozyme to gold
nanoparticles. The possibility of selecting the size of the assemblies within
several hundred nanometres allows for tuning their optical response in a wide
range of frequencies from visible to near infrared. We also demonstrate an
aggregation-dependent modulation of the catalytic activity, which results in an
enhancement of the antibacterial performances for assemblies of the proper
size. The gained overall control on structure, optical properties and
biological activity of such nanomaterial paves the way for the development of
novel antibacterial nanozymes with promising applications in treating multi
drug resistant bacteria.
