Nanozymes in the field of antibacterial applications: mechanisms and optimization strategies

Bacterial infections cause millions of deaths each year and the situation is aggravated by the misuse of antibiotics which induces drug-resistant bacteria, leading to an urgent requirement to develop novel antibacterial agents that can effectively combat drug-resistant bacterial infections. Nanozymes have several advantages as an emerging class of nanomaterials including multifunctional enzyme-like activities, high stability, modifiability, and low cost. They have shown great potential in killing drug-resistant bacteria and may offer a viable approach to address the issue of infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria, gaining widespread attention in various fields. This review encapsulates the underlying antibacterial mechanisms and classifications of nanozymes. It also discusses several strategies to enhance the antibacterial efficacy of nanozymes, such as surface modifications to improve their targeting abilities through covalent bonding, electrostatic interactions or topological interactions. What's more, the review highlights the creation of composite nanozymes to achieve multifunctional collaboration synergy and cascade antibacterial effects. Finally, the challenges and future prospects of nanozyme-based antibacterial therapies are discussed as well.