Noble metal nanozymes: synthesis, mechanism, activity regulation and detection applications

Noble metal nanozymes (NMNZs) have advantages such as high catalytic activity, stability, ease of preparation, and controllable enzyme activity, and they have become essential materials in new-generation detection technologies. They play an irreplaceable role, particularly in rapid, portable, and highly sensitive detection fields. Therefore, a mechanistic analysis of how optimization methods influence enzyme-like activity is crucial for preparing highly efficient NMNZs and expanding their assay applications. In this review, the synthesis methods and types of enzyme-like activities of NMNZs are introduced, with a particular emphasis on their catalytic mechanisms. Then, recent methods are summarized for regulating the enzyme-like activity of NMNZs and analyze their applications in the fields of environmental monitoring, food inspection and biomedical detection. Finally, we discuss the challenges and future development prospects of NMNZs in detection applications. Overall, this paper aims to provide theoretical guidance for the rational design and functional optimization of NMNZs, and to provide an outlook on their future prospects in high-sensitivity, high-selectivity detection technologies.