The paper published in the journal Materials Today. [Photo/sciencedirect.com]

A research group from the Institute of Biophysics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences recently published a paper in the journal Materials Today -- to illustrate the catalytic mechanism for nanozymes and clarify the key factors regulating their behavior, so as to provide ideas and inspiration for the de novo design of nanozymes.

The research paper entitled "Structure and activity of nanozymes: Inspirations for de novo gesign of nanozymes" summarized the studies on the structure–activity relationship of nanozymes in recent years.

Nanozymes -- nanomaterials with enzyme-like activities -- are becoming powerful competitors and potential substitutes for natural enzymes because of their excellent performance, including their controllable activity and environmental resistance.

In recent years, various nanozymes have been discovered or designed and they have gradually been applied to molecular detection, biomedical treatment and environmental management.

Nevertheless, nanozymes are often regarded as fascinating and confusing black boxes, as their catalytic mechanisms remain largely indistinct. Interestingly, recent research has shed light on them.

It appears that the enzymatic activities of nanozymes are closely related to their size, surface lattices, surface modifications and composition, among other things. Researchers say that some regular structure–activity relationships have been elucidated in recent reports.