Hybrids of 2D nanosheets and metal nanoparticles with enzyme-like properties for health and environment applications

Nanozymes are nanomaterials exhibiting enzyme-like characteristics and the advantage, compared with natural enzymes, of high stability, good durability, controllable activity, easy storage, and excellent reusability. This thesis project aims to synthesize nanozyme platforms based on hybrid nanocomposites of graphene oxide (GO) and noble metal nanoparticles (NP). The plasmonic tuning of graphene photothermal properties and the photocatalytic response will be exploited for applications in the medical and biological (e.g., anticancer therapies) and-or environmental (e.g, non-fouling surfaces to fight biocontamination, e-waste recovery) fields.