Transition metal catalysts (TMCs) can catalyse a wide variety of chemical transformations, making them potential tools for catalysis in biological settings. We recently demonstrated that self-assembled monolayers on nanoparticles (NP) can be used to encapsulate TMCs, generating water-soluble “nanozymes”. These nanozymes feature catalysis reminiscent of enzymes, but can also catalyse a variety of bioorthogonal processes. We systematically investigated the role of surface structure in controlling the catalytic activity of nanozymes bearing different functional groups against a library of pro-fluorophore derivatives. It was found that the interactions between nanozymes and substrates were driven by steric hindrance and supramolecular interactions, affecting their V<sub>max</sub>. Reaction kinetics at the catalytic sites were also controlled by varying the number of cleavable bonds of the profluorophore. We demonstrated that V<sub>max</sub> reduces with increase in the number of cleavable bonds of the substrate. This fundamental study of nanozyme-substrate interactions provides the nanozymes with tunable catalysis reminiscent of their enzyme prototypes.

Kinetic modulation of nanoparticle embedded transition metal catalyst by tuning nanoparticle surface functionality

252nd National Meeting (2016)

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