Nanozyme Catalysis in Biosensing Applications

Nanozymes are artificial nanomaterials that mimic the catalytic functions of natural enzymes, combining high stability, ease of production and tunable activity. In biosensing, they serve as robust transducers and signal amplifiers in optical, electrochemical and photoelectrochemical platforms. By exploiting peroxidase-, oxidase- or catalase-like activities, nanozymes catalyse substrate transformations that generate colourimetric, fluorescent or electrical readouts. Typical materials include metal oxides (for example iron oxide, cerium oxide or manganese oxide), carbon-based nanostructures (such as graphitic carbon nitride) and metal–organic frameworks, as well as emerging single-atom catalysts. The high surface-to-volume ratio and adjustable surface chemistry of these nanomaterials underpin sensitive and selective detection of biomolecules, small metabolites and pathogens. Cascade catalysis strategies—where one nanozyme activity produces an intermediate that in turn fuels a second reaction—enhance signal output and lower detection limits. Owing to low cost and facile integration with microfluidics and portable devices, nanozyme-enabled sensors are advancing applications in point-of-care diagnostics, environmental monitoring and food safety, offering rapid, reliable and user-friendly testing worldwide.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have demonstrated a metal-free graphitic carbon nitride nanozyme engineered to perform bifunctional glucose oxidase- and peroxidase-mimicking reactions under visible-light irradiation. In a single platform, glucose oxidation generates hydrogen peroxide, which is then used by the same material to oxidise a chromogenic substrate, achieving real-time colourimetric detection of glucose down to sub-micromolar levels in microfluidic devices. This cascade photocatalysis approach achieves near-unity quantum efficiency and rapid response within seconds. Such work exemplifies the integration of dual enzyme-like activities in one stable nanozyme, paving the way for compact, reagent-free biosensors with high analytical performance.

Nanozyme Catalysis in Biosensing Applications publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in nanozyme catalysis in biosensing applications across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Nanozyme: Nanomaterial with catalytic activity that mimics natural enzymes.

Peroxidase-like activity: Catalytic breakdown of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxidised substrates.

Oxidase-like activity: Catalytic oxidation of organic substrates using molecular oxygen.

Cascade catalysis: Sequential enzymatic-like reactions occurring on one material to amplify the detection signal.

Single-atom catalyst: Nanomaterial in which isolated metal atoms serve as highly selective active sites.

References

1. Modified carbon nitride nanozyme as bifunctional glucose oxidase-peroxidase for metal-free bioinspired cascade photocatalysis. Nature Communications (2019).
2. Single‐atom metal‐nitrogen‐carbon catalysts energize single molecule detection for biosensing. InfoMat (2023).
3. A Review on Biosensors and Recent Development of Nanostructured Materials-Enabled Biosensors. Sensors (2021).