Modified carbon nitride nanozyme as bifunctional glucose oxidase-peroxidase for metal-free bioinspired cascade photocatalysis

Nat Commun. 2019 Feb 26;10(1):940. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-08731-y.

Abstract

Nanomaterials-based biomimetic catalysts with multiple functions are necessary to address challenges in artificial enzymes mimicking physiological processes. Here we report a metal-free nanozyme of modified graphitic carbon nitride and demonstrate its bifunctional enzyme-mimicking roles. With oxidase mimicking, hydrogen peroxide is generated from the coupled photocatalysis of glucose oxidation and dioxygen reduction under visible-light irradiation with a near 100% apparent quantum efficiency. Then, the in situ generated hydrogen peroxide serves for the subsequent peroxidase-mimicking reaction that oxidises a chromogenic substrate on the same catalysts in dark to complete the bifunctional oxidase-peroxidase for biomimetic detection of glucose. The bifunctional cascade catalysis is successfully demonstrated in microfluidics for the real-time colorimetric detection of glucose with a low detection limit of 0.8 μM within 30 s. The artificial nanozymes with physiological functions provide the feasible strategies for mimicking the natural enzymes and realizing the biomedical diagnostics with a smart and miniature device.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biocatalysis
  • Biomimetic Materials
  • Biomimetics
  • Biosensing Techniques / methods*
  • Glucose / analysis
  • Glucose Oxidase / metabolism*
  • Lab-On-A-Chip Devices
  • Metals
  • Nanostructures / chemistry
  • Nitriles / chemistry
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Peroxidases
  • Photochemical Processes

Substances

  • Metals
  • Nitriles
  • cyanogen
  • Glucose Oxidase
  • Peroxidases
  • glucose peroxidase
  • Glucose