Thiolated Ligand-Functionalized MoS2 Nanosheets for Peroxidase-like Activities

Nanozymes, a class of nanomaterials that mimic the catalytic activity of natural enzymes, could be used to control the rapid spread of infectious diseases. Here, we have demonstrated that the intrinsic peroxidase-like activity of two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide (2D-MoS2) nanosheets can be amplified through surface functionalization. Traditionally, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has been widely used as a universal disinfectant agent but requires a high concentration. This can be taken care by the presence of any peroxidase-like catalyst to reduce the concentration of H2O2. Herein, we have explored the effect of surface functionality on peroxidase-like nanozyme activity of 2D-MoS2 nanosheets. We observed that functionalization of 2D-MoS2 nanosheets not only enhances the aqueous stability but also exhibits remarkably high peroxidase-like activity. Subsequently, we have extended this effect toward antibacterial activity in the presence of H2O2. The combination of the specific functionalized 2D-MoS2 nanomaterial of a concentration of 5.6 μg/mL and H2O2 of a concentration of only 0.5 mM (17642 times dilution of the commercially available 30% H2O2 solution) showed an excellent antibacterial activity compared to H2O2 alone. This work established that proper surface modification of various nanomaterials with intrinsic nanozyme properties can enhance the activity, which can be applied for many other related applications such as disinfectants, biosensors, drug delivery, and so forth.