Oxygen Vacancies Regulation in Ag-decorated CeO2 Hollow Multishelled Structure for Bacterial Elimination and Oxidative Stress Alleviation

Abstract

The synergistic effects of bacterial infection and oxidative stress remain a critical barrier to tissue repair in chronic wounds. While cerium oxide (CeO2)-based nanozymes hold promise, achieving a precise balance between their pro-oxidant and antioxidant activities is essential for therapeutic safety and efficacy. Here, we report a multifunctional nanotherapy platform based on silver nanoparticles (AgNPs)-decorated CeO2 hollow multishelled structures (Ce HoMS/Ag). We demonstrate that the strategic loading of AgNPs enables the fine-tuning of surface oxygen vacancies on the CeO2 HoMS, The site-specific modification selectively suppresses, peroxidase-like activity of CeO2 nanozyme, thereby preventing excessive oxidative damage. Simultaneously, the catalase and superoxide dismutase-like activities were enhanced to alleviate oxidative stress. Furthermore, HoMS architecture facilitates high AgNPs dispersion, maximizing active-site exposure and achieving near 100%bactericidal efficacy against S. aureus and E. coli. By integrating defect-engineering with structure design, this work provides a robust strategy for developing antibiotic-free materials, offering a powerful biomedical solution for simultaneous infection control and oxidative stress modulation.