Recent Advances in Silver nanozymes: Concept, Mechanism, and Applications in Detection

Abstract

Natural enzymes accelerate substrate‐specific reactions making them of exquisite interest for various applications. However, their appeal is lost in a practical setting due to low stability and high preparation expenses. This is the primary reason behind the flourishing in the research of nanozyme, i.e., artificial enzymes, in the past decade. Their unique physicochemical properties make them a promising candidate for various applications, especially in diagnostics and detection. They possess an enzyme‐like activity and can overcome the drawbacks of natural protein‐based enzymes. Nanozymes are nanomaterials that show enzyme‐like catalytic activity and have great potential to replace natural enzymes for industrial applications. The scope of tuning these nanozymes enhances their catalytic activity and provides specificity, benefiting disease diagnosis and drug delivery. This review aims to report the applications of silver nanozymes in disease diagnosis, glucose detection, and cancer therapy. Their role in detecting heavy metal ions for environmental safety has also been highlighted.