【Research Update】Breakthrough in Covalent Organic Framework Nanohydrogels from Prof. Zhang Chun's Team at School of Life Sciences

August 19, 2025 – A study titled "Covalent Organic Framework Nanohydrogel-Based Oxidase-Mimicking Nanozyme for Photocatalytic Antibacterial Therapy" led by Prof. Zhang Chun from the School of Life Sciences at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) has been published online in Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

Nanozymes, a class of nanomaterials with enzyme-like catalytic activities, combine high catalytic efficiency with enhanced stability and low cost. However, most nanozymes face limitations in aqueous solubility or dispersion, leading to reduced catalytic performance. To address this, Prof. Zhang’s group developed a water-soluble zinc-porphyrin covalent organic framework nanohydrogel (Zn-COF-NHG) by in-situ polymerization of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) on a Zn-COF backbone. This process exfoliates bulk COF into nanosheets, which further assemble into a water-soluble nanohydrogel.The Zn-COF-NHG effectively mimics a light-responsive oxidase, generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) efficiently and enhancing bacterial binding via non-covalent interactions. The system demonstrated excellent antibacterial performance both in vitro and in vivo, opening new avenues for biomedical applications of porous organic materials.

The co-first authors of the paper are MSc students Tao Xin and Fang Zijun, and PhD student Shao Ruijian. Prof. Zhang Chun is the corresponding author. Undergraduate students Cheng Hongyu and Zhu Shiqiao, along with PhD student Hu Jiarui from the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, contributed to parts of the work. Prof. Yu Hongbo, Prof. Wang Xiaoyan, and Prof. Tan Bien provided valuable guidance. The School of Life Sciences at HUST is the primary affiliated institution. This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Link to the paper：https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/anie.202513754