Silver-Based Hybrid Nanomaterials: Preparations, Biological, Biomedical, and Environmental Applications

Nanozymes, or artificial enzymes, have received a great deal of attention in recent years because of their superior enzyme-like capabilities over natural enzymes. The transition-metals are being investigated for their intrinsic nanozyme activity in various applications, including biosensors, antimicrobials, cytoprotection, anticancer, tissue engineering, and drug delivery. Especially, silver (Ag) is one of the transition-metals that has been investigated intensively since the turn of the century because of its biological activity and catalytic properties. This review discussed various Ag-based hybrid nanozymes preparation and their enzyme-like activity by combining Ag with other metals, salts, and organic molecules. Ag-based hybrid nanozymes in the form of metal-organic frameworks, complexes, bimetallic, hexacyanoferrate structures were summarized. Based on the literature results, Ag-based hybrid nanozymes are rapid, sensitive, and selective detection of various compounds, ions, and biological species such as hydrogen peroxide, glucose, phosphatase, glucose oxidase, acetylcholinesterase, cysteine, hepatitis E virus, sulfamethazine, uric acid, hypoxanthine, spermine, and gonadotropin. Moreover, Ag-based nanozymes are being investigated for antibacterial, cell protection, and anticancer applications. Future perspectives on Ag-based nanozymes were discussed at the end of the review. As a result, Ag-based hybrid nanozymes offer great potential for clinical trial applications and commercialization.

Automated summary

Nanozymes, particularly those based on silver, have been extensively studied for their enzyme-like capabilities and potential applications in biosensors, antimicrobials, cytoprotection, and anticancer treatments. They show rapid, sensitive, and selective detection abilities for various compounds and biological species, offering great potential for clinical trial applications and commercialization.