Enzyme-Like Activity of Nanomaterials

Due to possessing an extremely small size and a large surface area per unit of volume, nanomaterials have specific characteristic physical, chemical, photochemical, and biological properties that are very useful in many new applications. Nanoparticles' catalytic activity and intrinsic ability in generating or scavenging reactive oxygen species in general can be used to mimic the catalytic activity of natural enzymes. Many nanoparticles with enzyme-like activities have been found, potentially capable of being applied for commercial uses, such as in biosensors, pharmaceutical processes, and the food industry. To date, a variety of nanoparticles, especially those formed from noble metals, have been determined to possess oxidase-like, peroxidase-like, catalase-like, and/or superoxide dismutase-like activity. The ability of nanoparticles to mimic enzymatic activity, especially peroxidase mimics, can be used in a variety of applications, such as detection of glucose in biological samples and waste water treatment. To study the enzyme-like activity of nanoparticles, the electron spin resonance method represents a critically important and convenient analytical approach for zero-time detection of the reactive substrates and products as well as for mechanism determination.