Porphyrin-Based Nanozymes for Biomedical Applications

Porphyrins are a class of heterocyclic compounds with a tetrapyrrole conjugated structure, having unique physical, chemical, and optical properties. They have garnered significant interest as building blocks for fabricating nanomaterials due to their attractive features. Porphyrins also serve as the catalytic activity centers for various biological enzymes, making them promising functional molecules for constructing artificial enzymes known as nanozymes. Despite this, the emerging field of porphyrin-based nanozymes still lacks a comprehensive summary. Here, this study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of porphyrin-based nanozymes that are engineered with varying methods and materials. In addition, the latest researches are highlighted on their biomedical applications, including cancer treatment, biosensing, antibacterial, and antioxidant applications. The focus lies in the supramolecular mechanisms underlying the nanoengineering approaches and catalytic functions of these nanozymes. The challenges and prospects of constructing porphyrin-based nanozymes to promote their biomedical applications and the development of next-generation nanomedicines are also discussed. Porphyrin-based nanozymes: Porphyrins serve as the catalytic center in many enzymes, rendering them highly attractive for use as building blocks in the construction of nanozymes. This review provides an overview of the recent advancements in porphyrin-based nanozymes. The discussion primarily centers around the typical fabrication techniques, with a specific focus on nanostructures, catalytic functionalities, and their therapeutic and diagnostic applications.image