The pigment Prussian blue served as the basis

The pigment Prussian blue served as the basis for the synthesis of an artificial enzyme. 
From nanoparticles of Prussian blue, scientists have synthesized an artificial enzyme that restores hydrogen peroxide. This analogue is superior to natural protein in activity and can be used as a tag in chemical analyses or to create ultra-sensitive coatings. This technology can be widely used in medical diagnostics and therapy. The research is supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation. The work has been published in the Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry and its results are summarized by the press service of the Russian Research Foundation.

Creation of artificial enzymes is widely in demand in modern medicine, and it often uses nanoparticles, which are called "nanozymes". This relatively new method quickly gained great popularity due to the high stability and low cost of artificial analogues of enzymes. The latter can be used to create sensors for biochemical reaction products. This technology is used for chemical analysis, including for tasks of medical diagnostics and therapy.

Peroxidase, an enzyme that catalyzes the recovery reaction of hydrogen peroxide, is most commonly used in biotechnology and biochemical sensorics. It is not surprising that the creation of nanozymes with peroxidase activity is the most promising. Scientists at Lomonosov Moscow State University have proposed an original approach to the use of iron hexacyanoferrate nanoparticles, a pigment known as "Prussian blue". The nanoparticles were synthesized in a catalyzed (accelerated) reaction and suspended. It was then dripped on the electrode surface and dried when heated. This coating linearly improves the efficiency of peroxide detection as the area of a thin layer of nanoparticles increases to a solid layer. In addition, significant catalytic activity has been detected with respect to the hydrogen peroxide recovery reaction.

"Nanozymes developed based on Prussian blue are a reliable, sensitive, stable and easy to use analogue of the natural enzyme peroxidase. Such nanozymes have no oxidative, i.e. oxidative, activity and can be used in physiological pH values, which is important for bioanalysis. In addition to the fact that the synthesised nanozymes are superior to natural enzyme in catalytic activity, they can be used to create electrochemical biosensors. The established high electrocatalytic activity of nanozymes is the key moment for their application as electrochemical tags", says Maria Komkova, PhD in Chemistry, Senior Researcher at the Chemistry Department of the Lomonosov Moscow State University.

In their new study, scientists laid the foundations for the use of nanozymes based on Prussian blue as electro-catalytic tags. The use of tags based on such "artificial peroxidase" is especially relevant for the creation of electrochemical DNA, RNA-sensors. Hydrogen peroxidase is also a sign of such dangerous pathologies as cancer and complications of diabetes. Monitoring of peroxide concentration makes it possible to determine the presence and severity of a number of respiratory diseases and monitor the effectiveness of treatment. 

Johannes Röll

Johannes Röll was born 1978 in Brilon,Germany. Graduated RWTH Aachen University. Over the past ten years he worked as Head of the plastic card team, where he was mainly responsible for the development of the distribution, Head of sales Department and Financial Analyst,where he got experience in planning and support sales figures for branches. For the present he works as freelancer

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