Metal-Polyphenol Network Confined Synthesis of Nanozymes with Programmable Oxygen Vacancies for UVB Photodamage Therapy.

Cui, Xiaomiao; Han, Jiawen; Li, Tong; Liu, Wanling; Sun, Qi; Zhu, Fuying; Yang, Congzhong; Fan, Daoqing et al. · Nano Lett · 2026

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Conventional sunscreens block ultraviolet B (UVB) but fail to scavenge accumulated reactive oxygen species (ROS), causing severe photodamage. Herein, we develop a room-temperature, aqueous coordination strategy that assembles metal-polyphenol networks (MPNs) to confine <i>in situ</i> nucleation and growth of metal oxide nanozymes. Utilizing tannic acid coordinated ceria (CeO<sub>2</sub>-TA) as a model system, we achieve programmable regulation of surface oxygen vacancies (O<sub>v</sub>) by adjusting the ligand-to-metal molar ratio. This process involves ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) mediated interfacial electron redistribution, resulting in significant enhancements in superoxide dismutase (SOD)- and catalase (CAT)-like activities. This "ligand-unit equivalence" design is universally applicable across diverse polyphenols, yielding highly dispersed and catalytically efficient nanozymes. <i>In vivo</i>, topical CeO<sub>2</sub>-TA profoundly scavenges UVB-induced ROS, mitigating acute skin inflammation and preserving the extracellular matrix against photoaging. This work establishes a universal and scalable method for the development of O<sub>v</sub> engineered nanozymes and promotes their integration into next-generation topical sunscreens.