Atomic-scale RuS2−x clusters with rich defects for efficient electron trapping of bacterial respiratory chains

Abstract

The ordered transfer of electrons plays a critical role in energy metabolism of bacterial respiratory chains. Therefore, designing materials to intervene in electron transfer is expected to address the challenge of bacterial drug resistance. Here, we develop atomic-scale RuS_2−x clusters with abundant defects that can efficiently capture electrons to disrupt the electron transport chain in bacteria. The electron transfer rate between vacancy-rich RuS_2−x clusters and bacteria reaches 2.13 ± 0.1 × 10⁶ e s⁻¹ CFU⁻¹, leading to significant inhibition of ATP synthesis and achieving broad-spectrum antimicrobial efficacy. Since the non-periodic structure and ultra-small size break through boundary constraints of RuS_2−x clusters, the abundant Ru³⁺ sites adjacent to S vacancies are exposed and serve as highly catalytic active sites, resulting in a prominent glutathione oxidase-like activity with a ∼9–3.8 × 10⁶ times higher catalytic rate constant (K_cat = 1.14 ± 0.15 × 10⁵ min⁻¹) than those of single-atom and large-scale nanozymes, as well as peroxidase-like activity surpassing natural enzymes. Moreover, the trapped electrons from the bacterial respiratory chain further promote the biocatalytic activity of the clusters. In addition, the wound infection model demonstrates that RuS_2−x clusters accelerate wound repair and skin regeneration by efficient antimicrobial activity and inflammatory suppression. Therefore, the developed RuS_2−x clusters could combat difficult-to-treat bacterial infections by circumventing current bacterial resistance mechanisms.