Work

Facile Gram-Scale Production of Cu/Cu 2 O Core/Shell Nanoparticles Densely Embedded in a Porous Carbon Framework for Cost-Effective Peroxidase Mimicking

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Natural enzymes are efficient catalysts but face high costs and instability, leading to the development of artificial enzymes like nanozymes. While noble metals commonly demonstrate high peroxidase (POD)-like activity, their expense limits their practical use. In contrast, 3d transition metal oxides, though less active, are more cost-effective due to their natural abundance, with Cu(I) emerging as a promising candidate. However, maximizing POD-like activity in small-sized Cu 2 O nanoparticles (NPs) often requires complex synthetic processes and labor-intensive purification, making mass production challenging. To address these issues, it is crucial to develop POD nanozymes with simplified production methods that would reduce costs and facilitate their real-world applications. Herein, we present a straightforward and scalable method for preparing Cu/Cu 2 O core/shell NPs densely embedded within a porous carbon-based framework by calcining Cu precursor and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) at elevated temperatures in nitrogen. The resulting samples with Cu/Cu 2 O NPs around 15 nm in size can be obtained at temperatures below 600 °C. Importantly, they can be used directly without purification, significantly reducing production costs compared to natural enzymes. The sample obtained at 300 °C, exhibiting the highest Cu(I) content, displays optimal POD-like activity and was further demonstrated in the detection of glutathione and glucose. This study is anticipated to guide the future development of scalable and cost-effective POD nanozymes for practical applications.

Source: ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces

DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5c05766