Antibacterial Nanozyme Sustained-Release System Based on Arginine Carbon Dots within Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks

Chronic wounds are susceptible to bacterial aggregation, which could lead to severe infections and a complicated healing process. Addressing bacterial infections is crucial for effective wound repair. In this study, we developed an antibacterial nanozyme sustained-release system, Arg-CDs/ZIF-8, by doping arginine carbon dots (Arg-CDs) into the zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8) to achieve pH-responsive release. ensuring prolonged action at the wound site. In the presence of hydrogen peroxide, Arg-CDs/ZIF-8 demonstrates superior generation of NO and reactive oxygen species capability, exhibiting promising synergistic antibacterial effects against E. coli and S. aureus. In vivo animal experiments also demonstrated the excellent wound-healing ability of Arg-CDs/ZIF-8 in the presence of H₂O₂. The in vivo toxicity results confirm that Arg-CDs/ZIF-8 has good biosafety, providing a promising nonantibiotic approach to combat wound infections, and highlighting its potential in the development of antimicrobial materials. © 2025 American Chemical Society.