Issue 3, 2024

Nanozymes: powerful catalytic materials for environmental pollutant detection and degradation

Abstract

The increasing environmental pollution and its threats to human health require efficient monitoring and remediation techniques. Enzymes play a significant role in environmental monitoring and remediation, but the vulnerable performance of natural enzymes greatly limits their wider use in complex matrices. As an alternative to natural enzymes, materials with enzyme-like catalytic characteristics have found many environmental applications. With the catalytic signal amplification feature, various nanozyme materials are explored to detect contaminants. Meanwhile, the robust catalytic performance endows nanozymes with potential use in pollutant removal. To highlight the exciting and blooming area, here we made a critical review on nanozyme-involved detection and degradation of environmental pollutants, and the research progress achieved in the last five years was emphatically concluded. First, the use of nanozymes in detecting various contaminants (toxic ions, phenolic pollutants, antibiotics, and pesticides) was discussed according to different sensing principles. Second, the strategies established with the participation of nanozymes for pollutant degradation were summarized. In the end, the opportunities given by nanozyme catalysis were presented for environmental control, and current challenges were discussed to better guide the field's development. Our review provides the up-to-date means and views for monitoring and degrading pollutants based on nanozyme catalysis. It is also anticipated to draw more attention and effort to further advance this promising area.

Graphical abstract: Nanozymes: powerful catalytic materials for environmental pollutant detection and degradation

Article information

Article type
Critical Review
Submitted
19 nov. 2023
Accepted
03 janv. 2024
First published
10 janv. 2024

Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2024,11, 766-796

Nanozymes: powerful catalytic materials for environmental pollutant detection and degradation

Q. Diao, X. Chen, Z. Tang, S. Li, Q. Tian, Z. Bu, H. Liu, J. Liu and X. Niu, Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2024, 11, 766 DOI: 10.1039/D3EN00844D

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements