Nanozymes as Photothermal-Catalytic Agents

Nanozymes have gained extensive attention in the field of biomedicine owing to their low cost, outstanding catalytic activity, and high stability. The relationship between the catalytic activity of nanozymes and temperature is proportional based on the Arrhenius equation. Therefore, the systematic summary of nanozymes with good catalytic performance and photothermal performance is of great significance for biomedical applications. In this chapter, we systematically summarize the application progress of nanozymes as photothermal-catalytic agents for tumor/antibacterial therapy. Nanozymes as photothermal-catalytic agents can be divided into the following categories: 1) iron-based nanozymes; 2) copper-based nanozymes; 3) molybdenum-based nanozymes; 4) tungsten-based nanozymes; 5) cobalt/nickel/vanadium-based nanozymes; 6) multiple metals-based nanozymes; and 7) others. We briefly introduce the mechanism of light-responsive nanozymes, especially the relationship between photothermal performance and catalytic activity. The synergistic effects of enzyme-like catalytic treatment and photothermal therapy in biomedical applications (mainly in cancer therapy, antibacterial application) are emphatically discussed. We believe that this chapter facilitates the understanding of the photothermal and catalytic properties of nanozymes and their applications in biomedicine.