Synthesis and multifaceted characterization of bioactive Co-Y-Fe layered double hydroxide: bridging peroxidase-mimic function with antibacterial and anticancer efficacy in a unified strategy

Increasing antibiotic-resistant infections and rapidly progressing cancers have led to a serious demand for more effective platforms to overcome the challenges related to conventional therapies. The catalytic reaction between nanozymes and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) generates reactive oxygen species (ROSs), which effectively break down bacterial cell walls and induce apoptosis in cancer cells without causing significant off-target effects. Accordingly, nanozymes have emerged as promising nanostructures for biomedical and antibacterial applications. Herein, a novel cobalt(II)‑yttrium(III)‑iron(III) layered double hydroxide (Co-Y-Fe LDH) was synthesized and characterized in terms of structure, composition, and surface properties. After investigating the enzyme-mimic performance, the peroxidase-based antibacterial efficiency was extensively evaluated against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), showing a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Co-Y-Fe LDH to be 38.7 ± 0.53 μg mL⁻¹ and 33.1 ± 0.41 μg mL⁻¹, respectively. Furthermore, the cytotoxic evaluations exhibited potent anticancer activity against cancer cells with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 25.01 ± 1.2 μg mL⁻¹. Meanwhile, the case-studied nanozyme exhibited insignificant toxicity towards the human normal cells. These results indicate the multifunctional capabilities of Co-Y-Fe LDH as an effective antibacterial and anticancer agent with a biocompatible nature for a wide range of applications.