Photo-Modulated Nanozyme for Biosensing and Biomedical Applications

Nanozymes refer to functional nanomaterials with enzyme-like catalytic activity. Compared with natural enzymes, nanozymes exhibit the advantages of low price, high stability, and large-scale preparation. The unique physical and chemical properties as well as the intriguing surface engineering of nanomaterials provide new avenues for activity and selectivity regulation of nanozymes. Among the existing approaches for nanozyme modulation, photo-regulation offers the obvious advantages of switch control of enzyme activity with real-time accuracy. Besides, the special feature of light, such as noninvasiveness, high spatial and temporal resolution, and easy to control the intensity and wavelength, also holds promise for nanozyme modulation. In this review, the current status of photo-modulation for nanozyme activity regulation was briefly summarized here. On one hand, photo-irradiation can influence the nanozyme-substrate interactions in some cases, such as light-induced block/releases of enzyme active sites, pH and temperature changes, etc. On the other hand, some nanozyme cannot work without light, namely light-driven nanozymes. Furthermore, the use of photo-modulated nanozyme for advanced biosensing and biomedical applications are also highlighted.