Multifunctional MoO3− X Nanozyme-Hydrogel for Synergistic Photothermal Antibacterial Therapy and Enhanced Healing of Wounds Infected with Drug‑Resistant Bacteria

Abstract

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections and recalcitrant biofilms remain intractable barriers to wound healing, with traditional antibiotics offering limited efficacy due to resistance and poor biofilm penetration. To address this unmet clinical need, we innovatively engineered a multifunctional composite hydrogel (MoO3−X@CG-ODP) by integrating oxygen-vacancy-rich MoO3−X nanozymes into a dynamic cross-linking network formed by L-glutamine-grafted chitosan (CG) and 3-aminophenylboronic acid-mediated oxidized dextran (ODP). The composite exhibits a stacked nanosheet morphology (∼240 nm), a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 49.70%, and peroxidase-like activity. Under 808 nm near-infrared irradiation, the hydrogel achieves >99% inhibition against MDR Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, along with effective biofilm eradication. In a murine wound model, the material significantly accelerated wound closure, up-regulated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), down-regulated tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and maintained excellent biosafety. This work demonstrates a safe and effective strategy for combating MDR infections through the combined action of photothermal therapy and nanozyme catalysis, offering promising potential for clinical wound management.