Metal Coordination-Driven Supramolecular Nanozyme as an Effective Colorimetric Biosensor for Neurotransmitters and Organophosphorus Pesticides

Abstract

Analytical methods for detecting neurotransmitters (NTs) and organophosphorus (OP) pesticides with high sensitivity are vitally necessary for the rapid identification of physical, mental, and neurological illnesses, as well as to ensure food safety and safeguard ecosystems. In this work, we developed a supramolecular self-assembled system (SupraZyme) that exhibits multi-enzymatic activity. SupraZyme possesses the ability to show both oxidase and peroxidase-like activity, which has been employed for biosensing. The peroxidase-like activity was used for the detection of catecholamine NTs, epinephrine (EP), and norepinephrine (NE) with a detection limit of 6.3 µM and 1.8 µM, respectively, while the oxidase-like activity was utilized for the detection of organophosphate pesticides. The detection strategy for OP chemicals was based on the inhibition of acetylcholine esterase (AChE) activity: a key enzyme that is responsible for the hydrolysis of acetylthiocholine (ATCh). The corresponding limit of detection of paraoxon-methyl (POM) and methamidophos (MAP) was measured to be 0.48 ppb and 15.8 ppb, respectively. Overall, we report an efficient supramolecular system with multiple enzyme-like activities that provide a versatile toolbox for the construction of sensing platforms for the colorimetric point-of-care detection of both NTs and OP pesticides.

Light-gated specific oxidase-like activity of a self-assembled Pt(ii) nanozyme for environmental remediation

“…Significantly, supramolecular nanozymes present essential features in common with natural enzymes. Consequently, diverse supramolecular nanozymes have been introduced containing different scaffolds such as peptides, 32 micelles, 33 vesicles, 34 nanofibers, 35 nanotubes, 36 metal coordinated system, 37 and hydrogels. 38 Metal-based supramolecular systems including metal complexes, 39 metallacycles, 40 and metallacages 41 offer useful spectroscopic properties including aggregation induced emission (AIE), which can be exploited to achieve nanozyme activities.…”