Nanomaterials
with enzyme-mimicking functions, termed nanozymes,
offer attractive opportunities for biocatalysis and biomedicine. However,
manipulating nanozyme selectivity poses an insurmountable hurdle.
Here, we propose the concept of an energy-governed electron lock that
controls electron transfer between nanozyme and substrates to achieve
selectivity manipulation of enzyme-like catalysis. An electron lock
can be constructed and opened, via modulating the nanozyme’s
electron energy to match the energy barrier of enzymatic reactions.
An iron-doped carbon dot (FeCD) nanozyme with easy-to-regulate electron
energy is selected as a proof of concept. Through regulating the conduction
band which dominates electron energy, activatable oxidase and selective
peroxidase (POD) with substrate affinity 123-fold higher than that
of natural horseradish peroxidase (HRP) is achieved. Furthermore,
while maintaining selectivity, FeCDs exhibit catalytic kinetics comparable
to that of HRP upon transforming photons into electrons. Superior
selectivity, efficient catalysis, and undetectable biotoxicity energize
FeCDs as potent targeted drugs on antibiotic-resistant bacterial abscesses.
An electron lock provides a robust strategy to manipulate selectivity
toward advanced nanozymes.