A gold nanoparticle-intercalated mesoporous silica-based nanozyme for the selective colorimetric detection of dopamine

Macromolecule-Nanoparticle-Based Hybrid Materials for Biosensor Applications

Biosensors function as sophisticated devices, converting biochemical reactions into electrical signals. Contemporary emphasis on developing biosensor devices with refined sensitivity and selectivity is critical due to their extensive functional capabilities. However, a significant challenge lies in the binding affinity of biosensors to biomolecules, requiring adept conversion and amplification of interactions into various signal modalities like electrical, optical, gravimetric, and electrochemical outputs. Overcoming challenges associated with sensitivity, detection limits, response time, reproducibility, and stability is essential for efficient biosensor creation. The central aspect of the fabrication of any biosensor is focused towards forming an effective interface between the analyte electrode which significantly influences the overall biosensor quality. Polymers and macromolecular systems are favored for their distinct properties and versatile applications. Enhancing the properties and conductivity of these systems can be achieved through incorporating nanoparticles or carbonaceous moieties. Hybrid composite materials, possessing a unique combination of attributes like advanced sensitivity, selectivity, thermal stability, mechanical flexibility, biocompatibility, and tunable electrical properties, emerge as promising candidates for biosensor applications. In addition, this approach enhances the electrochemical response, signal amplification, and stability of fabricated biosensors, contributing to their effectiveness. This review predominantly explores recent advancements in utilizing macrocyclic and macromolecular conjugated systems, such as phthalocyanines, porphyrins, polymers, etc. and their hybrids, with a specific focus on signal amplification in biosensors. It comprehensively covers synthetic strategies, properties, working mechanisms, and the potential of these systems for detecting biomolecules like glucose, hydrogen peroxide, uric acid, ascorbic acid, dopamine, cholesterol, amino acids, and cancer cells. Furthermore, this review delves into the progress made, elucidating the mechanisms responsible for signal amplification. The Conclusion addresses the challenges and future directions of macromolecule-based hybrids in biosensor applications, providing a concise overview of this evolving field. The narrative emphasizes the importance of biosensor technology advancement, illustrating the role of smart design and material enhancement in improving performance across various domains.

MOFs@POMs-derived bimetallic oxide Fe2(MoO4)3 nanoparticles for sensitive colorimetric detection of salicylic acid in aspirin

A colorimetric sensing method for salicylic acid (SA) was developed by designing and fabricating bimetallic oxide nanozymes. Firstly, by calcinating MIL-100(Fe)@PMo12 (MOFs@POMs) at different temperature, Fe2(MoO4)3-Ts (T = 400℃, 500℃, 600℃, 700℃) nanoparticles (NPs) were successfully prepared. Secondly, by evaluating the peroxidase-like activities, Fe2(MoO4)3-600 NPs shows the best peroxidase-like activity attributed to the Fenton-like effect and the synergistic coupling interaction between Mo and Fe. Finally, based on the specific complexation between SA and Fe3+, a sensitive colorimetric sensor for SA was established, which exhibits superior selectivity and interference with a detection limit of 0.11 μM and a linear range of 10 to 100 μM, the lowest LOD for SA to date, to the best of our knowledge.

Nanozyme catalyzed-SERRS sensor for the recognition of dopamine based on AgNPs@PVP with oxidase-like activity

Dopamine (DA), as one of the most significant neurotransmitters, is closely related to several diseases. Achieving rapid and sensitive detection of DA remains a challenge. Herein, we proposed a simple, fast, and sensitive method for DA recognition based on surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) technique. The synthesized silver nanoparticles coated with polyvinylpyrrolidone (AgNPs@PVP) with oxidase activity could not only oxidize 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) directly to produce a blue oxidation state TMB (oxTMB) but also could be used as the SERS substrate to generate a strong SERRS signal. When DA was added to the above system, the blue color faded along with the decrease in the SERRS signal. The change value of SERRS intensity was in proportion to the concentration of DA in the range of 0.1-10 μM with a limit of detection of 40 nM. This method presented great potential for the recognition of DA-related diseases.

Rapid and sensitive smartphone non-enzymatic colorimetric assay for the detection of glucose in food based on peroxidase-like activity of Fe3O4@Au nanoparticles

A low-cost and reliable analytical method based on the combination of a newly designed Fe3O4@Au as peroxidase mimetics, supported on smartphone analysis software package was proposed for the determination of glucose content in food samples. The nanocomposite was prepared by self-assembling technique, and the characterization was carried out using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transforms infrared, and X-ray diffractometer. Record the color change of the solution with a smartphone camera and optimize the operation parameters and reaction conditions. A smartphone with a free self-developed app was accustomed live the RGB (red-greenblue) values of color intensity within the Fe3O4@Au system and were processed with Image J software before computationally convert them glucose concentrations. At the optimization experiment, reaction temperature of 60 °C, reaction time of 50 min and the amount of addition of Fe3O4@Au 0.0125 g was the optimal combination of detecting glucose smartphone color detection system. Hereon, the accuracy of the proposed method was evaluated by comparison between smartphone colorimetry and UV-vis spectrophotometer, a linear calibration in the range of 0.25 ∼ 15 mmol/L glucose was obtained with minimum detection limit of 1.83 and 2.25 μmol/L, respectively. The proposed method was applied effectively to the detection of glucose in actual samples. The results were in accordance with the conventional UV-vis spectrophotometer method.

Fe(III)-incorporated porphyrin-based conjugated organic polymer as a peroxidase mimic for the sensitive determination of glucose and H2O2

Nanozymes, i.e., nanomaterials that possess intrinsic enzyme-like behaviour, have thrived over the past few decades owing to their advantages of superior stability and effortless storage. Such artificial enzymes can be a perfect alternative to naturally occurring enzymes, which have disadvantages of high cost and limited functionality. In this work, we present the fabrication of an Fe(III)-incorporated porphyrin-based conjugated organic polymer as a nanozyme for the efficient detection of glucose through its intrinsic peroxidase activity and the amperometric detection of hydrogen peroxide. The iron-incorporated porphyrin-based conjugated organic polymer (Fe-DMP-POR) possesses a spherical morphology with high chemical and thermal stability. Exploiting the peroxidase-mimicking activity of the material for the determination of glucose, a detection limit of 4.84 μM is achieved with a linear range of 0-0.15 mM. The Fe-DMP-POR also exhibits a reasonable recovery range for the detection of human blood glucose. The as-synthesized material can also act as an H2O2 sensor, with a sensitivity of 947.67 μA cm-2 mM-1 and a limit of detection of 3.16 μM.

Immobilization of Enzyme Electrochemical Biosensors and Their Application to Food Bioprocess Monitoring

Electrochemical biosensors based on immobilized enzymes are among the most popular and commercially successful biosensors. The literature in this field suggests that modification of electrodes with nanomaterials is an excellent method for enzyme immobilization, which can greatly improve the stability and sensitivity of the sensor. However, the poor stability, weak reproducibility, and limited lifetime of the enzyme itself still limit the requirements for the development of enzyme electrochemical biosensors for food production process monitoring. Therefore, constructing sensing technologies based on enzyme electrochemical biosensors remains a great challenge. This article outlines the construction principles of four generations of enzyme electrochemical biosensors and discusses the applications of single-enzyme systems, multi-enzyme systems, and nano-enzyme systems developed based on these principles. The article further describes methods to improve enzyme immobilization by combining different types of nanomaterials such as metals and their oxides, graphene-related materials, metal-organic frameworks, carbon nanotubes, and conducting polymers. In addition, the article highlights the challenges and future trends of enzyme electrochemical biosensors, providing theoretical support and future perspectives for further research and development of high-performance enzyme chemical biosensors.

Copper Immobilized over 2D Hexagonal SBA-15 for Electrochemical and Colorimetric Sulfite Sensing

Sulfite (SO₃^2-) is considered a highly toxic anion for living organisms. Herein, we report the synthesis of copper immobilized over a 2D hexagonally ordered mesoporous silica material CuMS as an electrochemical and colorimetric dual-technique-based sensing platform for sulfite detection. The immobilization of copper on silica was achieved through the bis[3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl]tetrasulfide (TEPTS) ligand. Morphological and physical properties of the material were confirmed by several characterization techniques, including scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, N₂ sorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The CuMS material retained mesoporosity with a narrow pore size distribution (D ≈ 5.4 nm) and a high Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of 682 m² g^-1 after the immobilization of copper. The prepared catalyst shows promising electrocatalytic activity toward sulfite oxidation. A linear variation in the peak current was obtained for SO₃^2- oxidation in the 0.2-15 mM range with a high sensitivity of 62.08 μA cm^-2, under optimum experimental conditions. The limit of detection (LOD) was found to be 1.14 nM. CuMS also shows excellent activity toward colorimetric detection of sulfite anions with an LOD of 0.4 nM. The proposed sensor shows high selectivity toward the sulfite anion, even in the presence of common interferents. The detection of sulfite in white wine with excellent recovery demonstrates the practical applicability of this sensor.

Surface modification strategies and the functional mechanisms of gold nanozyme in biosensing and bioassay

Gold nanozymes (GNZs) have been widely used in biosensing and bioassay due to their interesting catalytic activities that enable the substitution of natural enzyme. This review explains different catalytic activities of GNZs that can be achieved by applying different modifications to their surface. The role of Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) in mimicking oxidoreductase, helicase, phosphatase were introduced. Moreover, the effect of surface properties and modifications on each catalytic activity was thoroughly discussed. The application of GNZs in biosensing and bioassay was classified in five categories based on the combination of the enzyme like activities and enhancing/inhibition of the catalytic activities in presence of the target analyte/s that is realized by proper surface modification engineering. These categories include catalytic activity enhancer, reversible catalytic activity inhibitor, binding selectivity enhancer, agglomeration base, and multienzyme like activity, which are explained and exemplified in this review. It also gives examples of those modifications that enable the application of GNZs for in vivo biosensing and bioassays.

The development of a novel copper-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticle as a peroxidase mimetic for colorimetric biosensing and its application in H2O2 and GSH assay

In recent years, the development of nanomaterials-based peroxidase mimics as enzyme sensors has been attracting considerable interest due to their outstanding features, including potent stability, and cost-effectiveness toward natural enzymes. In this work, mesoporous silica nanoparticles functionalized by copper (Cu-MSN) were prepared as a new artificial enzyme for the first time through the sol-gel procedure. A comprehensive investigation of the catalytic activity of Cu-MSN was done through the oxidation of chromogenic peroxidase substrates, 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB), and (2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS), in the presence of H₂O₂. The results indicate that the peroxidase-like activity of the as-prepared sample is significantly higher than other nanoparticles. Additionally, for the study, a facile and rapid sensing method based on the enzyme-like activity of Cu-MSN to detect H₂O₂ and glutathione (GSH) was developed to examine the potency of the proposed biosensor. Preliminary analysis revealed that the limit of detection (LOD) of H₂O₂ and GSH is 0.2 and 0.0126 μM, in the range of 0.9-100 and 0.042-1 μM, respectively. These findings support the claims for the efficiency of the sensor in detection fields. Also, human serum was utilized as the real sample to obtain additional evidence.

Pd nanoparticles stabilized by bitter gourd polysaccharide with peroxidase properties for H2O2 detection

The development of nanozymes using noble metal nanoparticles to replace natural peroxidase in bio-related detection has been gain great interest. Noble metal nanoparticles with small size have large specific surface area. However, small noble metal nanoparticles tend to aggregate without stabilizer. In this paper, small Pd nanoparticles (3-6 nm) stabilized by bitter gourd polysaccharide (Pd_n-BGP NPs) were prepared by using bitter gourd polysaccharide as reducing agent and stabilizing agent. Pd₂₅-BGP NPs had peroxidase-like catalytic property. And the catalytic kinetics of Pd₂₅-BGP NPs towards substrates conformed to the Michaelis-Menten equation. Furthermore, a method was established to detect H₂O₂ using Pd₂₅-BGP NPs. The linear range and detection limit of this method was 20-320 μM and 2.04 μM, respectively. Finally, Pd₂₅-BGP NPs had good biocompatibility when the concentration was less than 80 μg/mL. The prepared Pd nanoparticles with high stability showed their good prospect in H₂O₂ detection.

Nanoarchitectured prototypes of mesoporous silica nanoparticles for innovative biomedical applications

Despite exceptional morphological and physicochemical attributes, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) are often employed as carriers or vectors. Moreover, these conventional MSNs often suffer from various limitations in biomedicine, such as reduced drug encapsulation efficacy, deprived compatibility, and poor degradability, resulting in poor therapeutic outcomes. To address these limitations, several modifications have been corroborated to fabricating hierarchically-engineered MSNs in terms of tuning the pore sizes, modifying the surfaces, and engineering of siliceous networks. Interestingly, the further advancements of engineered MSNs lead to the generation of highly complex and nature-mimicking structures, such as Janus-type, multi-podal, and flower-like architectures, as well as streamlined tadpole-like nanomotors. In this review, we present explicit discussions relevant to these advanced hierarchical architectures in different fields of biomedicine, including drug delivery, bioimaging, tissue engineering, and miscellaneous applications, such as photoluminescence, artificial enzymes, peptide enrichment, DNA detection, and biosensing, among others. Initially, we give a brief overview of diverse, innovative stimuli-responsive (pH, light, ultrasound, and thermos)- and targeted drug delivery strategies, along with discussions on recent advancements in cancer immune therapy and applicability of advanced MSNs in other ailments related to cardiac, vascular, and nervous systems, as well as diabetes. Then, we provide initiatives taken so far in clinical translation of various silica-based materials and their scope towards clinical translation. Finally, we summarize the review with interesting perspectives on lessons learned in exploring the biomedical applications of advanced MSNs and further requirements to be explored.

Gold nanostructures: synthesis, properties, and neurological applications

Recent advances in technology are expected to increase our current understanding of neuroscience. Nanotechnology and nanomaterials can alter and control neural functionality in both in vitro and in vivo experimental setups. The intersection between neuroscience and nanoscience may generate long-term neural interfaces adapted at the molecular level. Owing to their intrinsic physicochemical characteristics, gold nanostructures (GNSs) have received much attention in neuroscience, especially for combined diagnostic and therapeutic (theragnostic) purposes. GNSs have been successfully employed to stimulate and monitor neurophysiological signals. Hence, GNSs could provide a promising solution for the regeneration and recovery of neural tissue, novel neuroprotective strategies, and integrated implantable materials. This review covers the broad range of neurological applications of GNS-based materials to improve clinical diagnosis and therapy. Sub-topics include neurotoxicity, targeted delivery of therapeutics to the central nervous system (CNS), neurochemical sensing, neuromodulation, neuroimaging, neurotherapy, tissue engineering, and neural regeneration. It focuses on core concepts of GNSs in neurology, to circumvent the limitations and significant obstacles of innovative approaches in neurobiology and neurochemistry, including theragnostics. We will discuss recent advances in the use of GNSs to overcome current bottlenecks and tackle technical and conceptual challenges.

Delineating the Role of Tailored Gold Nanostructures at the Biointerface

Gold (Au) has emerged as a superior element, because of its widespread applications in electronic and medical fields. The desirable physical, chemical, optical, and inherent enzyme-like properties of Au are efficiently exploited for detection, diagnostic, and therapeutic purposes. Au offers a unique advantage of fabricating gold nanostructures (GNS) having exact physical, chemical, optical, and enzyme-like properties required for the specific biomedical application. In this Review, the emerging trend of GNS for various biomedical applications is highlighted. Some notable structural and chemical modifications achieved for the detection of biomolecules, pathogens, diagnosis of diseases, and therapeutic applications are discussed in brief. The limitations of GNS during biomedical usage are highlighted and the way forward to overcome these limitations are discussed.

Introducing hierarchical hollow MnO2 microspheres as nanozymes for colorimetric determination of captopril

A simple sensor was developed for the colorimetric determination of captopril (CPT). Herein, hierarchical hollow MnO₂ microspheres (HH-MnO₂) were applied as nanozymes with peroxidase-mimetic activity. Free cation radicals with a strong absorption signal (λ_max at 653 nm) were generated via a redox reaction between 3, 3', 5, 5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and HH-MnO₂. Captopril could successfully prevent the generation of blue-colored free cation radicals. The influence of CPT concentration on the absorption of the generated radicals was monitored by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The corresponding linear concentration range was from 1.0 to 30.0 μg mL^-1 (4.6-138.1 μmol L^-1), and the detection limit was found to be 0.26 μg mL^-1 (1.2 μmol L^-1). As a practical usage, the developed sensor was effectively utilized to measure the content of CPT in pharmaceutical formulations.

Pt Nanoparticles Confined by Zirconium Metal-Organic Frameworks with Enhanced Enzyme-like Activity for Glucose Detection

Metal nanozymes hold promise for chemical and biological applications, and their implementation relies on high catalytic efficiency and stability. Using the metal-organic framework as an ideal carrier for well-dispersed ultra-small metal nanoparticles (NPs) is beneficial for improving the catalytic efficiency of nanozymes. In this study, a zirconium-based metal organic framework (UiO-66) with good chemical stability and high porosity was synthesized and used to construct Pt/UiO-66 nanocomposites. The percentage of Pt in UiO-66 can be tuned easily by adjusting the feeding amount of PtCl4 2-. Because of the confinement effect of mesopores, the Pt particles with an average diameter of 3.8 nm are formed and dispersed throughout the pores of the UiO-66 particle. The Pt/UiO-66 composites show efficient oxidase- and peroxidase-like activity. Both the oxidase- and peroxidase-like activities are dependent on the Pt percentage. Pt/UiO-66-6% exhibits enhanced peroxidase-like activity, ∼3.9 times higher than that of commercial Pt/C with 10 wt % Pt. We propose that the construction of Pt/UiO-66 increased the utilization efficiency and stability of Pt NPs and provided more active sites for catalytic reactions. Using the peroxidase-like activity of Pt/UiO-66, a colorimetric method that can be used for actual blood glucose detection was developed for the specific detection of glucose with a limit of detection of 0.033 mM.

Enhancing the peroxidase-like activity and stability of gold nanoparticles by coating a partial iron phosphate shell

Using citrate-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as peroxidase-mimicking enzymes to design biosensors is hindered by their low catalytic activity and poor colloidal stability, resulting in limited sensitivity and large variations. Herein, the growth of a partial iron phosphate (FeP) shell with Fe²⁺ ions on citrate-capped AuNPs boosted the activity of the AuNPs by up to 20-fold. The FeP-enhanced activity was demonstrated on AuNPs of different sizes, and gold nanostars. When the FeP layer is thick enough to block the access to the Au/FeP interface, the activity was inhibited. Capping the remaining Au surface by thiol also inhibited the activity, suggesting that faster reactions occurred at the interfaces of Au/FeP. Moreover, a FeP shell can stabilize AuNPs against freezing and a high NaCl concentration of 1 M. Sensitive detection of Fe²⁺ was achieved with a detection limit of 0.41 μM, while no other tested transition metal phosphates enhanced the peroxidase-like activity of AuNPs.

Construct of Carbon Nanotube-Supported Fe2O3 Hybrid Nanozyme by Atomic Layer Deposition for Highly Efficient Dopamine Sensing

The Fe2O3 nanozyme has been identified as the most promising alternative for the Fe3O4 nanozyme due to its relatively low toxic risk and good chemical stability. However, its enzyme-like activity is relatively low enough to meet specific application requirements. Furthermore, previous synthesis approaches have difficulties in fabricating ultra-small Fe2O3 nanoparticles with tunable size and suffer from agglomeration problems. In this study, atomic layer deposition (ALD) was used to deposit Fe2O3 on surfaces of carbon nanotubes to form hybrid nanozymes (Fe2O3/CNTs). ALD enables the preparation of ultrafine Fe2O3 nanoparticles with precise size control <1 nm, while CNTs could be served as promising support for good dispersibility and as an effective activity activator. Hence, the formed Fe2O3/CNTs exhibit excellent peroxidase-like activity with a specific peroxidase activity of 24.5 U mg-1. A colorimetric method for sensing dopamine (DA) was established and presented good sensitivity with a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 0.11 μM. These results demonstrated that, in virtue of meticulous engineering methods like ALD, carbon nanomaterial-based hybrids can be developed as talented enzyme mimetic, thus paving a way for nanozyme design with desired activity and broadening their applications in biosensing and other fields.