Onion‐Like Carbon Nanozyme: Controlling Peroxidase‐Like Activity by Carbon Hybridization Patterns for Antibacterial Therapy

Since the inception of the concept of nanozymes, there has been a growing interest in the rational design and controllable synthesis of nanozymes with adjustable activities. In this study, onion-liked carbon (OLC) with remarkable peroxidase-like (POD) activity are developed through delicately controlling the sp²/sp³ configuration. The investigation reveals that enzymatic activity of OLC increases first and then decreases with the increased graphitic degree, with the highest activity observed at a moderate sp²/sp³ ratio of 17.17%. A series of experiments and theoretical calculations are conducted to elucidate the catalytic mechanism, and the structure-dependent activity is attributed to a synergistic effect of surface adsorption and electron transfer processes. The POD activity enables the OLC to catalyze the decomposition of H₂O₂, producing reactive oxygen species for eradicating Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Additionally, toxicity tests based on nematode and mouse models confirmed the excellent biocompatibility of OLC. Furthermore, the OLC exhibited antibacterial ability and promoted bacterial-infected wound healing in a mouse model. This work not only gives a deeper understanding of the structure-activity relationship and catalytic mechanism of carbon-based nanozymes, but also unveils a novel avenue for antibacterial therapy and wound healing applications.