Synergistic integration of cadmium sulphide and Mn3O4 nanozymes on Shewanella oneidensis for photocatalytic hydrogen production with reduced ROS toxicity.

The integration of semiconductor nanomaterials with electroactive bacteria offers a promising strategy for enhancing light-driven biohybrid systems. However, the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during photocatalysis poses a significant challenge, impairing microbial viability and reducing process efficiency. In this study, we developed a novel biohybrid system by sequentially biosynthesizing cadmium sulphide (CdS) nanoparticles and manganese oxide (Mn3O4) nanozyme on the surface of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, creating an S. oneidensis-CdS@Mn3O4 composite. The CdS nanoparticles facilitated efficient light absorption and electron transfer, significantly enhancing hydrogen production under visible light irradiation. However, ROS accumulation (·OH, O2⁻·, and H2O2) induced oxidative stress, reducing bacterial viability and metabolic activity. To address this, Mn3O4 nanozyme were introduced, demonstrating robust ROS-scavenging capabilities, reducing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels by 66.7%, superoxide radical (O2⁻·) by 60.7%, and hydroxyl radical (·OH) by a significant margin. As a consequence, hydrogen production by S. oneidensis-CdS@Mn3O4 reached 1203.60 µmol g-dcw⁻¹ after 70 h of visible-light irradiation, which was 2.6-fold higher than that of S. oneidensis-CdS. Furthermore, Mn3O4 preserved cell viability, maintained higher NADH/NAD⁺ ratios, and enhanced ATP levels, indicating improved metabolic efficiency. Structural characterization via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the successful synthesis of CdS and Mn3O4 on bacterial surfaces, while photoelectrochemical analysis verified retained photosensitivity. This study presents a simple yet effective strategy for mitigating ROS-induced damage in bio-semiconductor systems, offering insights into the design of more stable and efficient biohybrid platforms for sustainable energy production.Key points A biohybrid system (S. oneidensis-CdS@Mn3O4) was constructed by sequential biosynthesis of CdS and Mn3O4 nanozyme.Mn3O4 efficiently scavenged ROS, increasing hydrogen production by 2.6-fold compared to S. oneidensis-CdS.