Issue 14, 2022

Controlling the lifetime of cucurbit[8]uril based self-abolishing nanozymes

Abstract

Nature has evolved a unique mechanism of self-regulatory feedback loops that help in maintaining an internal cellular environment conducive to growth, healing and metabolism. In biology, enzymes display feedback controlled switchable behaviour to upregulate/downregulate the generation of metabolites as per the need of the cells. To mimic the self-inhibitory nature of certain biological enzymes under laboratory settings, herein, we present a cucurbit[8]uril based pH responsive supramolecular peptide amphiphile (SPA) that assembles into hydrolase mimetic vesicular nanozymes upon addition of alkaline TRIS buffer (activator) but disintegrates gradually owing to the catalytic generation of acidic byproducts (deactivator). The lifetime of these nanozymes could be manipulated in multiple ways, either by varying the amount of catalytic groups on the surface of the vesicles, by changing the acid generating substrate, or by changing the ratio between the activator and the substrate. The self-inhibitory nanozymes displayed highly tunable lifetimes ranging from minutes to hours, controlled and in situ generation of deactivating agents and efficient reproducibility across multiple pH cycles.

Graphical abstract: Controlling the lifetime of cucurbit[8]uril based self-abolishing nanozymes

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
25 12 2021
Accepted
14 2 2022
First published
14 2 2022
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Chem. Sci., 2022,13, 4050-4057

Controlling the lifetime of cucurbit[8]uril based self-abolishing nanozymes

S. Das, T. Das, P. Das and D. Das, Chem. Sci., 2022, 13, 4050 DOI: 10.1039/D1SC07203J

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