Modulating Electron Transfer in Vanadium-Based Artificial Enzymes for Enhanced ROS-Catalysis and Disinfection.

Nanomaterials-based artificial enzymes (AEs) have flourished for more than a decade. However, it is still challenging to further enhance their biocatalytic performances due to the limited strategies to tune the electronic structures of active centers. Here, a new path is reported for the de novo design of the d electrons of active centers by modulating the electron transfer in vanadium-based AEs (VOx -AE) via a unique Zn-O-V bridge for efficient reactive oxygen species (ROS)-catalysis. Benefiting from the electron transfer from Zn to V, the V site in VOx -AE exhibits a lower valence state than that in V2 O5 , which results in charge-filled V-dyz orbital near the Fermi level to interfere with the formation of sigma bonds between the V- d z 2 and O-pz orbitals in H2 O2 . The VOx -AE exhibits a twofold Vmax and threefold turnover number than V2 O5 when catalyzing H2 O2 . Meanwhile, the VOx -AE shows enhanced catalytic eradication of drug-resistant bacteria and achieves comparable wound-treatment indexes to vancomycin. This modulating charge-filling of d electrons provides a new direction for the de novo design of nanomaterials-based AEs and deepens the understanding of ROS-catalysis.