Engineering a smart bionic hydrogel powered by V2C MXene nanozymes for self-driven antibacterial and fruit preservation

Postharvest decay of fresh fruits, driven by water loss and microbial colonization, remains a critical global challenge. Herein, we engineered a microenvironment-responsive biomimetic hydrogel featuring a physical-chemical dual-defense mechanism for zero-additive fruit preservation. This dynamic polymer network (Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/cationic chitosan/glycerol) securely anchors two dimension Vanadium carbide (2D V 2 C) MXene nanozymes. Macroscopically, a glycerol-driven hydrogen-bonding network endows the hydrogel with dynamic morphological adaptability, conforming to fruit shrinkage to lock moisture and eliminate bacteria-invading micro-cracks. Microscopically, the V 2 C nanozymes act as an intelligent H 2 O 2 -responsive system, capturing trace endogenous H 2 O 2 from microbial metabolism to trigger localized, lethal reactive oxygen species (ROS) storms without exogenous chemicals. In vivo evaluations on cherries and mandarins demonstrated that the P 90 VC 10 G coating maintained weight loss below 10% and total viable counts below 3.43 Lg CFU/g after 9 days of storage at ambient temperature. This work provides a promising protective strategy for sustainable postharvest management.