Glucose-unlocked near-infrared plasmonic nanoheterojunction for enzymatic-thermal coupling therapy of infected wounds

Abstract

Engineering interfacial charge-transfer pathways in plasmonic nanoheterojunction offers an effective strategy to improve the catalytic utilization of plasmon-induced hot carriers, yet their ultrafast relaxation remains a major obstacle for biofunctional nanozyme applications. Herein, Ti₃C₂T_x MXene was integrated with zinc ion doped Prussian blue (ZnFe), glucose oxidase (GO_x), and hyaluronic acid (HA) to construct a plasmonic nanoheterojunction denoted MZF-G. The intimate Ti₃C₂T_x/ZnFe heterointerface generates a contact-potential-difference-driven built-in electric field, enabling directional hot-carrier migration across the interface and suppressing charge recombination. Upon 808 nm near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, MZF-G efficiently harvests photons and promotes hot-electron transfer from Ti₃C₂T_x to ZnFe, thereby enhancing reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and photothermal conversion. Meanwhile, GO_x catalyzes local glucose oxidation to produce hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and gluconic acid in situ, which respectively provide catalytic substrate for Fenton-like reactions and modulate the weakly acidic microenvironment. This interfacial plasmonic stimulation and glucose-unlocked cascade catalysis markedly amplify the peroxidase-like activity of MZF-G, overcoming the limited antibacterial efficacy of single-mode photothermal therapy. In vitro studies demonstrated potent antibacterial and biofilm-disrupting activity under NIR irradiation. In vivo experiments further confirmed that MZF-G effectively eradicated biofilm infection, attenuated inflammation, regulated redox homeostasis, promoted collagen deposition and angiogenesis, and accelerated wound repair. This work highlights an interface-engineering strategy for constructing plasmonically activated nanozymes and provides a promising nanomedicine platform for anti-biofilm wound therapy.