Silver-Based Hybrid Nanomaterials: Preparations, Biological, Biomedical, and Environmental Applications

Nanozymes, or artificial enzymes, have received a great deal of attention in recent years because of their superior enzyme-like capabilities over natural enzymes. The transition-metals are being investigated for their intrinsic nanozyme activity in various applications, including biosensors, antimicrobials, cytoprotection, anticancer, tissue engineering, and drug delivery. Especially, silver (Ag) is one of the transition-metals that has been investigated intensively since the turn of the century because of its biological activity and catalytic properties. This review discussed various Ag-based hybrid nanozymes preparation and their enzyme-like activity by combining Ag with other metals, salts, and organic molecules. Ag-based hybrid nanozymes in the form of metal-organic frameworks, complexes, bimetallic, hexacyanoferrate structures were summarized. Based on the literature results, Ag-based hybrid nanozymes are rapid, sensitive, and selective detection of various compounds, ions, and biological species such as hydrogen peroxide, glucose, phosphatase, glucose oxidase, acetylcholinesterase, cysteine, hepatitis E virus, sulfamethazine, uric acid, hypoxanthine, spermine, and gonadotropin. Moreover, Ag-based nanozymes are being investigated for antibacterial, cell protection, and anticancer applications. Future perspectives on Ag-based nanozymes were discussed at the end of the review. As a result, Ag-based hybrid nanozymes offer great potential for clinical trial applications and commercialization.