Design and Applications of Enzyme-Linked Nanostructured Materials for Efficient Bio-catalysis

The current advancements in nanotechnology had exquisite impacts on biocatalysis. Enzymes are exceptional biocatalysts because of their excellent substrate selectivity, regio- and stereo-specificity, and capacity to accelerate the reaction rate up to several orders of magnitude. One of the significant challenges in biotechnology is the utilization and development of enzymes as reliable biocatalysts. Applications of enzymes have drawn a lot of attention as demand for environmentally friendly and sustainable operations increases. Enzymes are promising biocatalysts with a wide range of uses, including as a biosensor, in food, agricultural, and pharmaceutical industries. The distinctive catalytic chemistry of enzyme-linked compatible nanostructures put forward many applications, including biocatalysis. The most recent advancements in enzyme immobilization organic / inorganic supports—including carbon-based, polymeric or hybrid, metal–organic framework—as well as various nanomaterials comprised of metals and metal oxides are discussed. The methods for immobilizing enzymes onto carriers and their stability and catalytic properties are also highlighted. The synergistic coupling of nanotechnology with biotechnology covers a broad range of tremendous applications. Nanostructures have specific characteristics that can balance parameters like effective encapsulation of enzymes, porosity, etc., which present peculiar prospects for designing an ideal biocatalyst. For synthetic chemistry and bio-manufacturing, photo-enzymes are potentially attractive biocatalysts. This review highlights that efforts are underway to bring the benefits of combining two research-intensive fields, biocatalysis and photo-biocatalysis, in a meaningful way. Graphical Abstract