Self-template synthesis of mesoporous vanadium oxide nanospheres with intrinsic peroxidase-like activity and high antibacterial performance

Mesoporous vanadium oxide nanospheres are a very promising nanozyme for antibacterial and chemical sensing. However, controllable synthesis of mesoporous vanadium oxide nanospheres with uniform structure and small diameter (<200 nm) remains challenging. Herein, mesoporous vanadium oxide nanospheres (MVONs) with a small, uniform and adjustable particle size (52-105 nm), large mesopore size (5.1-5.8 nm), and high specific surface area (up to 63.7 m2 g-1) are constructed via a self-template strategy using tannic acid, formaldehyde and vanadium compounds as a polymerizable ligand, cross-linking agent and metal source, respectively. The relationships between synthesis conditions and material nanostructure are systematically investigated. The particle size and peroxidase-like activity of MVONs can be easily changed by adding different amounts of Pluronic block copolymer F127. Owing to the mesoporous structure, high specific surface area and small particle size, MVONs can effectively convert H2O2 into extremely toxic reactive oxygen species, and further kill Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). This research establishes a universal, reliable method for synthesizing mesoporous vanadium oxide nanospheres, which might be used in catalysis, biosensors, and antibacterial treatment.