Valence-Engineered Catalysis-Selectivity Regulation of Molybdenum Oxide Nanozyme for Acute Kidney Injury Therapy and Post-Cure Assessment

The study presents a valence-engineering strategy to modulate the valence states of molybdenum in Pluronic F127-coated MoO3-x nanozymes to enhance their specificity for H2O2-associated catalytic reactions, aimed at treating and monitoring ROS-related diseases. MF-0 (Mo average valence 4.64) and MF-10 (Mo average valence 5.68) exhibit optimal catalase- and peroxidase-like activities, respectively. Density functional theory calculations reveal the energy barriers for H2O2 activation pathways. MF-0 shows strong potential in treating acute kidney injury (AKI) with excellent therapeutic outcomes in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, the ROS-responsive photoacoustic imaging (PAI) signal of MF-0 allows real-time monitoring of the therapeutic effect and post-cure assessment, offering a non-invasive diagnostic approach for ROS-related diseases.