Engineering orbital coupling in rare-earth-doped layered double hydroxides for enhanced wound healing

Chemical Engineering Journal, 25 August, 2026, DOI：https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2026.181148

Engineering orbital coupling in rare-earth-doped layered double hydroxides for enhanced wound healing

Jiajia Jing, Yan Miao, Xiaotong Ma, Ruichen Wang, Haojie Wei, Chuxuan Liu, Kelong Fan, Jingping Zhong, Haifeng Liu

Abstract

The treatment of burn wounds and bacterial infections remains challenging due to excessive oxidative stress and bacterial colonization within the wound microenvironment. To address this, we developed a europium-doped CuCoAl layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanozyme (Eu_x/Cu-LDH) based on a 3d-2p-4f orbital coupling mechanism. The incorporation of Eu³⁺ established a Cu/Co–O–Eu coupling network that facilitated electron transfer and lowered the valence states of the redox-active metal centers, thereby significantly enhancing the antioxidant activity of the nanozymes. In vitro studies demonstrated that Eu_0.4/Cu-LDH exhibited good biocompatibility, effectively alleviated intracellular oxidative stress, promoted cell migration, and enhanced angiogenesis. In a burn wound model, the material accelerated wound healing by mitigating oxidative stress, suppressing the expression of IL-6 and TNF-α, and enhancing angiogenesis. Furthermore, the antibacterial efficacy of Eu_0.4/Cu-LDH was confirmed by in vitro assays, leveraging the intrinsic antibacterial properties of copper species within the LDH structure. In an infected wound model, Eu_0.4/Cu-LDH effectively eradicated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and accelerated the healing of infected wounds. In summary, Eu_0.4/Cu-LDH offers a promising platform for refractory wound management, combining potent antioxidant activity with supplementary antibacterial capability.

Article link：

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1385894726086109?via%3Dihub