Molecular Imprinting on Inorganic Nanozymes for Hundred-fold Enzyme Specificity

Enzyme-mimicking nanomaterials (nanozymes) are more cost-effective and robust than protein enzymes, but they lack specificity. Herein, molecularly imprinted polymers were grown on Fe3O4 nanozymes with peroxidase-like activity to create substrate binding pockets. Electron microscopy confirmed a shell of nanogel. By imprinting with an adsorbed substrate, moderate specificity was achieved with neutral monomers. Further introducing charged monomers led to nearly 100-fold specificity for the imprinted substrate over the nonimprinted compared to that of bare Fe3O4. Selective substrate binding was further confirmed by isothermal titration calorimetry. The same method was also successfully applied for imprinting on…

• NS
  Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

  Award: STPGP 447472-13