Peroxidase-like catalytic activity of Ag3PO4 nanocrystals prepared by a colloidal route

Abstract

Nearly monodispersed Ag3PO4 nanocrystals with size of 10 nm were prepared through a colloidal chemical route. It was proven that the synthesized Ag3PO4 nanoparticles have intrinsic peroxidase-like catalytic activity. They can quickly catalyze oxidation of the peroxidase substrate 3, 3, 5, 5-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in the presence of H2O2, producing a blue color. The catalysis reaction follows Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The calculated kinetic parameters indicate a high catalytic activity and the strong affinity of Ag3PO4 nanocrystals to the substrate (TMB). These results suggest the potential applications of Ag3PO4 nanocrystals in fields such as biotechnology, environmental chemistry, and medicine.