Highly Active Carbon-Metal-Based Nanozymes

Background:

Nanozymes—nanomaterials with intrinsic enzyme-like activity—have gained significant attention for diagnostics due to their stability, low-cost production, and enzyme-mimicking properties. Among these, peroxidase-mimicking nanozymes are widely used in disease diagnosis and biosensing, catalyzing peroxide decomposition to generate a detectable signal. However, many existing nanozymes suffer from low catalytic efficiency, significantly limiting their sensitivity in bioassays.

Technology Overview:

To address this, researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno have developed a carbon–platinum (CN-Pt) nanozyme by depositing ultrasmall platinum nanoparticles (1–2 nm) on nitrogen-doped carbon nanoparticles. This design dramatically enhances peroxidase-like activity, making the nanozyme a superior alternative to conventional horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-based assays.

CN-Pt nanozymes achieve 1.97 M·mL/s·g catalytic activity for H₂O₂ and 1.27 M·mL/s·g for TMB, significantly outperforming traditional nanozymes. Their record-high peroxidase-like activity enables the ultrasensitive detection of Burkholderia pseudomallei, a Tier 1 select agent, with detection limits of 0.11 ng/mL in buffer and 0.16 ng/mL in human serum.

Additionally, different from conventional Au@Pt core-shell nanozymes or similar materials, CN-Pt nanozymes naturally exhibit high colloidal stability over weeks without requiring surface modification. They can also be easily conjugated with antibodies (proteins) via electrostatic absorption, eliminating the need for complex bioconjugation procedures.

 For further information, please see ACS Applied Nano Materials Publication. 

Benefits:

• Ultra-sensitive detection: Enables sub-ng/mL detection for highly sensitive pathogen diagnostics.
• Higher catalytic activity: Demonstrates peroxidase-like activity with catalytic constants one to two orders of magnitude higher than many previously reported carbon–noble metal nanozymes.
• Thermal stability: Retains ~80% of enzymatic activity at 45°C, making it suitable for diverse operational environments.

Applications:

• Clinical and Laboratory Diagnostics: Enhances immunoassays for detecting biomarkers and pathogens in medical testing.
• Biosensor and Antimicrobial Applications: Can be incorporated into colorimetric biosensors and leveraged for antibacterial and antiviral activity, as nanozymes react with H₂O₂ to generate radicals (e.g., O*) that break down pathogens.
• Point-of-Care and Pathogen Neutralization: Potential use in rapid diagnostic tools and nanozyme-based pathogen control strategies.

Patent Pending