Aspartic acid-Cu(Ⅱ)-based nanozymes for combating bacterial infections

Nanozymes based on the coordination of amino acids and metal ions exhibit pronounced peroxidase (POD)-like activity, holding promising prospects in mitigating bacterial resistance caused by antibiotic misuse and harboring tremendous potential in the treatment of bacterial infections. In this study, L-/D-aspartic acid (L-/D-Asp) were individually coordinated with copper ions using a simple self-assembly approach, culminating in the creation of L-/D-hydrogel and nanofibers (L-/D-Gel and NFs) with POD-like actiity. These materials displayed excellent inhibitory effects against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Particularly, compared to L-/D-Gel, L-/D-NFs demonstrated excellent catalytic activity at extremely low concentrations. Moreover, our prepared nanozymes exhibited higher catalytic activity over a broader range of temperature and pH levels compared to the natural enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP). In summary, the prepared L-/D-Gel and NFs, as a novel type of nanozyme, hold great promise for widespread applications in the treatment of bacterial infections in wounds.