Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Bridging the Bio-Electronic Interface with Biofabrication
Published on: June 6, 2012
Degradable ZnS-Supported Bioorthogonal Nanozymes with Enhanced Catalytic Activity for Intracellular Activation of
Xianzhi Zhang1, Shichao Lin1,2,3, Rui Huang1
1Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 710 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States.
Abstract:
Bioorthogonal catalysis using transition-metal catalysts (TMCs) provides a toolkit for the in situ generation of imaging and therapeutic agents in biological environments. Integrating TMCs with nanomaterials mimics key properties of natural enzymes, providing bioorthogonal "nanozymes". ZnS nanoparticles provide a platform for bioorthogonal nanozymes using ruthenium catalysts embedded in self-assembled monolayers on the particle surface. These nanozymes uncage allylated profluorophores and prodrugs. The ZnS core combines the non-toxicity and degradability with the enhancement of Ru catalysis through the release of thiolate surface ligands that accelerate the rate-determining step in the Ru-mediated deallylation catalytic cycle. The maximum rate of reaction (Vmax) increases ∼2.5-fold as compared to the non-degradable gold nanoparticle analogue. The therapeutic potential of these bioorthogonal nanozymes is demonstrated by activating a chemotherapy drug from an inactive prodrug with efficient killing of cancer cells.
More Related Videos
14:43Microfluidic On-chip Capture-cycloaddition Reaction to Reversibly Immobilize Small Molecules or Multi-component Structures for Biosensor Applications
Published on: September 23, 2013
11:20An Integrated System to Remotely Trigger Intracellular Signal Transduction by Upconversion Nanoparticle-mediated Kinase Photoactivation
Published on: August 30, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Enzymes
Enzyme deficiencies can often translate into life-threatening diseases. For example, a genetic abnormality resulting in the deficiency of the enzyme G6PD...
Ribozymes
Ribozymes can be...