Strain Effect in Palladium Nanostructures as Nanozymes

Area of Science:

• Nanomaterials Science
• Catalysis
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Physicochemical properties influence nanozyme catalytic efficiency.
• The impact of strain effects on nanozymes remains unexplored.
• Nanozymes are nanoscale enzyme mimics with diverse applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and demonstrate the strain effect in nanozymes.
• To understand how strain influences the peroxidase-like activity of palladium nanozymes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized palladium octahedra and icosahedra as model nanozymes.
• Compared catalytic efficiency of strained versus unstrained palladium nanoparticles.
• Employed theoretical analysis to understand strain-induced catalytic mechanisms.
• Applied strained nanozymes in a biomarker immunoassay.

Main Results:

• Strained palladium icosahedra exhibited a 2-fold increase in peroxidase-like activity compared to unstrained palladium octahedra.
• Tensile strain was found to be more favorable for hydroxyl radical generation than compressive strain.
• Palladium icosahedra demonstrated higher activity due to amplified surface strain fields.
• Strained palladium icosahedra enhanced performance in a biomarker immunoassay.

Conclusions:

• Strain is a critical factor in nanozyme catalytic performance.
• Palladium icosahedra with induced tensile strain offer superior peroxidase-like activity.
• This research provides a foundation for designing high-performance nanozymes through strain engineering.