Issue 34, 2019

Metal and metal-oxide nanozymes: bioenzymatic characteristics, catalytic mechanism, and eco-environmental applications

Abstract

Phenolic contaminants (R-OH) are a category of highly toxic organic compounds that are widespread in aquatic ecosystems and can induce carcinogenic risk to wildlife and humans; natural enzymes as green catalysts are capable of step-polymerizing these compounds to produce diverse macromolecular self-coupling products via radical-mediated C–C and C–O–C bonding at either the ortho- or para-carbon position, thereby evading the bioavailability and ecotoxicity of these compounds. Intriguingly, certain artificial metal and metal-oxide nanomaterials are known as nanozymes. They not only possess the unique properties of nanomaterials but also display intrinsic enzyme-mimicking activities. These artificial nanozymes are expected to surmount the shortcomings, such as low stability, easy inactivation, difficult recycling, and high cost, of natural enzymes, thus contributing to eco-environmental restoration. This review highlights the available studies on the enzymatic characteristics and catalytic mechanisms of natural enzymes and artificial metal and metal-oxide nanozymes in the removal and transformation of R-OH. These advances will provide key research directions beneficial to the multifunctional applications of artificial nanozymes in aquatic ecosystems.

Graphical abstract: Metal and metal-oxide nanozymes: bioenzymatic characteristics, catalytic mechanism, and eco-environmental applications

Article information

Article type
Minireview
Submitted
05 Jun 2019
Accepted
07 Aug 2019
First published
07 Aug 2019

Nanoscale, 2019,11, 15783-15793

Metal and metal-oxide nanozymes: bioenzymatic characteristics, catalytic mechanism, and eco-environmental applications

W. Chen, S. Li, J. Wang, K. Sun and Y. Si, Nanoscale, 2019, 11, 15783 DOI: 10.1039/C9NR04771A

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