Protein-Assisted\nMolybdenum Disulfide as Biomimetic\nNanozyme for Antibacterial Application

Abstract

Molybdenum-based nanomaterials with variable oxidation\nstates can\nbe developed as nanozyme catalysts. In this work, we developed a one-pot\nmethod for the preparation of molybdenum disulfide assisted by protein.\nProtamine was used as a cationic template to link molybdate anions\nand form complexes. During hydrothermal synthesis, protamine can affect\nthe nucleation process of molybdenum disulfide and inhibit their aggregation,\nwhich facilitates the fabrication of small-sized molybdenum disulfide\nnanoparticles. Moreover, the abundant amino/guanidyl groups of protamine\ncould both physically adsorb and chemically bond to molybdenum disulfide\nand further modulate the crystal structures. The optimized size and\ncrystalline structure enabled a higher exposure of active sites, which\nenhanced the peroxidase-like activity of molybdenum disulfide/protamine\nnanocomposites. Meanwhile, the antibacterial activity of protamine\nwas retained in the molybdenum disulfide/protamine nanocomposites,\nwhich could synergize with the peroxidase-like activity of molybdenum\ndisulfide to kill bacteria. Therefore, the molybdenum disulfide/protamine\nnanocomposites are good candidates for antibacterial agents with lower\nchances of antimicrobial resistance. This study establishes an easy\nway to design artificial nanozymes by compounding suitable components.