A research team led by Professor HUANG Qing from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a series of CoNi- metal-organic framework (MOF) nanozymes with laccase-like activity using a gas-liquid interface dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) low-temperature plasma (LTP) technique. 

The findings have been published in Journal of Hazardous Materials.

Nanozymes have attracted increasing attention for their high catalytic activity, stability, and adaptability. However, the design and large-scale preparation of efficient nanozymes, as well as their practical applications in environmental remediation, remain critical challenges.

The team has spent years conducting in-depth research into LTP technology, exploring its potential to synthesize novel nanozyme materials. Inspired by the active sites of natural laccase—a green biocatalyst—the researchers designed and fabricated a bimetallic MOF material, CoNi-MOF using LTP technique. The resulting nanozymes exhibited excellent laccase-mimicking behavior, demonstrating both superior catalytic degradation of tetracycline and robust performance across diverse environmental conditions. Moreover, it demonstrates enhanced tolerance and stability under various environmental conditions while significantly reducing biotoxicity.

To further validate its practical application, the team combined these nanozymes with an aeration device, achieving efficient degradation of tetracycline antibiotics.

This study not only presents a novel low-temperature plasma-based approach for synthesizing high-performance nanozymes but also offers a promising and eco-friendly strategy for mitigating antibiotic pollution in the environment.

Schematic diagram of the process of preparing CoNi-MOF by LTP in the form of DBD and using the laccase-like activity of CoNi-MOF to treat tetracycline in wastewater. (Image by LIU Chao)