Recent advances on nanozyme-driven technology for detecting pharmaceutical and toxic molecules

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Analytical Chemistry
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Accurate detection of pharmaceutical and toxic molecules is vital for public health.
• Nanozymes, nanomaterials with enzyme-like catalytic activity, are promising analytical tools.
• Existing detection methods face limitations in sensitivity and specificity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review nanozyme classification, properties, and integration with detection technologies.
• To summarize nanozyme applications in analyzing pharmaceutical and toxic substances.
• To identify challenges and future directions in nanozyme-based detection.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of nanozyme integration with colorimetry, fluorescence, electrochemistry, immunoassays, and SERS.
• Analysis of nanozyme applications for diverse targets including antibiotics, pesticides, and toxins.
• Discussion of challenges such as catalytic efficiency, selectivity, and biocompatibility.

Main Results:

• Nanozymes significantly enhance analytical performance across various detection platforms.
• Successful applications demonstrated for detecting antibiotics, pesticides, toxins, and drug metabolites.
• Integration with multimodal techniques offers advanced diagnostic capabilities.

Conclusions:

• Nanozymes represent a transformative approach to analyzing pharmaceutical and toxic molecules.
• Addressing challenges in efficiency, selectivity, and biocompatibility is key for practical translation.
• Future research should focus on rational design for intelligent diagnostics.