Facile Synthesis of Copper Telluride Nanoparticles as a Robust Nanoenzymatic Catalyst for Intrinsic Peroxidase‐Like Activity

Abstract

Copper telluride nanoparticles are classified as the family of metal chalcogenides and were synthesized using a simple solvothermal method using a new source of telluride, ditelluride diphenyl. The characterized techniques revealed that the atomic composition of copper tellurides is Cu2Te and particles are spherical. This study is greatly examined by different designed experiments for the proof of the intrinsic peroxidase‐like activity of copper telluride nanoparticles and its effectiveness in a variety of similar structures. Cu2Te nanoparticles can convert peroxidase substrates (TMB and OPD) to colored products in the presence of H2O2. In addition, the as‐prepared nanoparticles have the potential to oxidize DPPH and ABTS substrates. Michaelis–Menten constant KM value for TMB and H2O2 was found to be 12 mM and 0.60 mM for H2O2 and the Vmax value of the Cu2Te was found to be TMB and H2O2 was 2.50×10−7 and 0.82×10−8 MS−1. These data are found to be almost comparable with natural peroxidase HRP and other artificial enzymes reported in the literature. The natural peroxidase‐like activities of Cu2Te nanoparticles originated from the catalytic decomposition of H2O2 into ⋅OH radical, which was confirmed from the ESR spin‐trapping technique and using a fluorescence probe, terephthalic acid.