Nanobiocatalysis: a materials science road to biocatalysis

With high activity and specificity to conduct catalysis under mild conditions, enzymes show great promise in many fields. However, they are not acclimatized to environments in practice after leaving the familiar biological conditions. Aiming at this issue, nanobiocatalysis, a fresh area integrating nanotechnology and enzymatic catalysis, is expected to design biocatalysis based on materials science. Specifically, nano-integrated biocatalysis and bio-inspired nanocatalysis are considered as two effective nanobiocatalytic systems to meet different design needs. Notably, both systems are not entirely separated, and the combination of both further sparks more possibilities. This review summarizes the type, construction, and function of nanobiocatalytic systems, analyzing the pros and cons of different strategies. Moreover, the corresponding applications in bioassay, biotherapy, and environmental remediation are highlighted. We hope that the advent of nanobiocatalysis will help in grasping the inherence of biocatalysis and propel biocatalytic applications.

Automated summary

Enzymes have great potential in various fields due to their high activity and specificity for catalysis under mild conditions. However, they struggle to adapt to different environments outside of their familiar biological conditions. Nanobiocatalysis, which integrates nanotechnology and enzymatic catalysis, aims to design biocatalysis based on materials science. Nano-integrated biocatalysis and bio-inspired nanocatalysis are two effective nanobiocatalytic systems that can meet different design needs, and their combination opens up even more possibilities. This review summarizes the types, constructions, and functions of nanobiocatalytic systems, analyzing the pros and cons of different strategies. Additionally, it highlights their applications in bioassay, biotherapy, and environmental remediation.