ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Analysis of structural and biomimetic characteristics of the green-synthesized Fe₃O₄ nanozyme from the fruit peel extract of Punica granatum

Deepa Mundekkad and A Vinotha Alex

Centre for Nanobiotechnology, Vellore Institute of Technology, VIT (PO), Vellore, India

E-mail: deepamundekkad@gmail.com

Received: 20 November 2021  Accepted: 11 February 2022

Abstract:

A vast array of industries routinely uses enzymes to reduce environmental toxicity and to improve the quality of product. Apart from their conventional role in textile and food industries to remove hydrogen peroxide, enzymes like catalases are being used for novel applications as in the development of biosensors. However, being biological in nature, these enzymes are prone to degradation; they are vulnerable to pH and temperature changes that affect their effectiveness. This inconsistent behavior of natural enzymes at high temperatures and pH conditions makes them unsuitable for commercial use. Artificial enzymes are synthesized to compensate the drawbacks of natural enzymes. Metal oxide nanoparticles are prominent among these artificial enzymes. In the current study, iron oxide nanozymes (Fe₃O₄ NZs) were synthesized from the fruit peel extract of pomegranate using microwave-assisted extraction. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) confirmed the cubical structure of the synthesized Fe₃O₄ NZs. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy/selected area electron diffraction (HR-TEM/SAED) revealed an average particle size of 17.8 ± 6.5 nm. The nanoparticle was further characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Further, the enzyme-mimicking activities of the Fe₃O₄ NZs were tested using peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-mimicking assays, revealing that the green-synthesized Fe₃O₄ NZs are good mimics of natural enzymes. This is the first report on the green synthesis, characterization and multi-enzyme-mimicking activity study of metal oxide nanozymes synthesized from the extract of pomegranate fruit peel.

Keywords: Enzyme-mimicking nanozyme; Green synthesis; Fe3O4 nanozymes; Catalase; Peroxidase; SOD

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-022-02130-2

Chemical Papers 76 (6) 3863–3878 (2022)