Photosensitized Peroxidase Mimicry at the Hierarchical 0D/2D Heterojunction-Like Quasi Metal-Organic Framework Interface for Boosting Biocatalytic Disinfection

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a versatile toolbox for the bioinspired design of nanozymes for antibacterial applications and beyond, however, designing a nanozyme by the hierarchical quasi-MOF scheme remains largely unpracticed. This work exemplifies the preferential structure-activity correlation of a bimetallic quasi-MOF (Q-MOFCe0.5) among three series of MOF-derived peroxidase (POD) mimics. The biomimetic quasi-MOFCe0.5 nanosheets accommodate both oxygen vacancy-coupled multivalent redox cycles and photosensitive energy band layout, benefiting from the hierarchical heterojunction-like 0D/2D interface featuring isolated nodes-derived Ce-O-Cu sites upon the 2D decarboxylated MOF scaffold. These integrated unique merits enable the POD-like Q-MOFCe0.5 to generate sustained reactive oxygen species to effectively eradicate the surface-adhered bacteria under visible light, resulting in significant inactivation of Escherichia coli (99.74 %) and Staphylococcus aureus (99.35%) in vitro, and potent disinfection of skin wounds in vivo in safe and on-demand manners. It is hoped that this work can intensify the interventions of MOF nanozymes against the microbial world.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates the design of a nanozyme Q-MOFCe0.5 through a hierarchical quasi-MOF scheme, which has the ability to generate sustained reactive oxygen species, effectively killing bacteria and disinfecting wounds.