Catalytically Active Nanomaterials: Artificial Enzymes of Next Generation

Natural enzymes are extremely specific and efficient biocatalysts, facilitating almost every biochemical process in living organisms with rapid rate (1019 times) of reaction [1]. Although the location and function of natural enzymes are well orchestrated, their practical utility is often compromised by some of their intrinsic hitches. These drawbacks could be the high cost of production, purification and storage, lower stability in extreme physiological conditions, lower recyclability, and the stringent requirement for optimum catalytic activity [2-4]. In this context, next-generation artificial enzymes are needed. Recent developments in nanotechnology have led to the generation of nanomaterials exhibiting the catalytic activities analogous to natural enzymes [5-10]. These catalytically active nanoparticles (nanozymes) seem to solve the issues related to natural enzymes, Abstract