title: Molecular Imprinting on Inorganic Nanozymes for Hundred-fold Enzyme Specificity.
abstract: Enzyme-mimicking nanomaterials (nanozymes) are more cost-effective and robust than protein enzymes, but they lack specificity. Herein, molecularly imprinted polymers were grown on Fe3O4nanozymes with peroxidase-like activity to create substrate binding pockets. Electron microscopy confirmed a shell of nanogel. By imprinting with an adsorbed substrate, moderate specificity was achieved with neutral monomers. Further introducing charged monomers led to nearly 100-fold specificity for the imprinted substrate over the nonimprinted compared to that of bare Fe3O4. Selective substrate binding was further confirmed by isothermal titration calorimetry. The same method was also successfully applied for imprinting on gold nanoparticles (peroxidase mimics) and nanoceria (oxidase mimics). Molecular imprinting furthers the functional enzyme mimicking aspect of nanozymes, and such hybrid materials will find applications in biosensor development, separation, environmental remediation, and drug delivery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo , Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
authors.forename: Zijie
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2757-3071
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo , Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
authors.forename: Xiaohan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo , Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
authors.forename: Biwu
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7357-9875
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo , Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
authors.forename: Juewen
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5918-9336
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D054802:Molecular Imprinting; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010316:Particle Size; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D005290:Ferric Compounds; C000499:ferric oxide; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D009195:Peroxidase