Molecularly Imprinted Nanozymes with Substrate Specificity: Current Strategies and Future Direction

Molecular imprinting technology (MIT) stands out for its exceptional simplicity and customization capabilities and has been widely employed in creating artificial antibodies that can precisely recognize and efficiently capture target molecules. Concurrently, nanozymes have emerged as promising enzyme mimics in the biomedical field, characterized by their remarkable stability, ease of production scalability, robust catalytic activity, and high tunability. Drawing inspiration from natural enzymes, molecularly imprinted nanozymes combine the unique benefits of both MIT and nanozymes, thereby conferring biomimetic catalysts with substrate specificity and catalytic selectivity. In this review, the latest strategies for the fabrication of molecularly imprinted nanozymes, focusing on the use of organic polymers and inorganic nanomaterials are explored. Additionally, cutting-edge techniques for generating atom-layer-imprinted islands with ultra-thin atomic-scale thickness is summarized. Their applications are particularly noteworthy in the fields of catalyst optimization, detection techniques, and therapeutic strategies, where they boost reaction selectivity and efficiency, enable precise identification and quantification of target substances, and enhance therapeutic effectiveness while minimizing adverse effects. Lastly, the prevailing challenges in the field and delineate potential avenues for future progress is encapsulated. This review will foster advancements in artificial enzyme technology and expand its applications.