Improved enzymatic assay for hydrogen peroxide and glucose by exploiting the enzyme-mimicking properties of BSA-coated platinum nanoparticles.

Platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) covered with a bovine serum albumin scaffold and a particle size of 1.5 nm (BSA-Pt NPs) are shown to display enhanced multiple enzyme-mimicking activities including peroxidase, oxidase, and catalase-like activities. The peroxidase-like activity is characterized by robustness and low signal background. BSA-Pt NPs were used to design colorimetric assays for HO and glucose. HO latter reacts with 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine in the presence of BSA-Pt NPs to form a blue product with an absorption maximum at 652 nm. The assay works in the 5-250 μM HO concentration range. The glucose assay is based on its glucose oxidase-catalyzed oxidation to produce gluconic acid and HO which then is colorimetrically quantified. Response is linear in the 10-120 μM glucose concentration range, and the detection limit is 2 μM (at S/N = 3). The method correlates well with the glucose standard method (R = 0.997 in the 95% confidence interval) which confirms that glucose in human serum has been successfully detected. Graphical abstractImproved enzymatic assay for hydrogen peroxide and glucose by exploiting the enzyme-mimicking properties of BSA-coated platinum nanoparticles.