Lewis Acid-Base Interaction-Driven Phosphodiester Hydrolysis in Single-Atom Nanozymes

Abstract

A single-atom nanozyme with a Lewis acid-base microenvironment was designed, enabled by boron-modulated electronic polarization of g-C6N6. In this system, isolated cerium (Ce) sites function as Lewis acid centers, while adjacent Lewis base domains act cooperatively to activate phosphodiester bonds. This acid-base interaction substantially lowers the hydrolysis energy barrier, thereby facilitating efficient bond cleavage and effectively inhibiting bacterial biofilm formation.