Selective peroxidase-like activity of ferroelectric BiFeO3 nanozymes for sensitive alkaline phosphatase detection via a pyrophosphate-mediated inhibition-recovery cascade
摘要
Ferroelectric materials, due to their spontaneous polarization, can enable efficient electron-hole pair separation, which subsequently enhances reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. This has gradually become a significant direction for screening high-performance nanozymes. This work explores the selective peroxidase (POD)-like activity of a classical ferroelectric material, BiFeO3 nanoparticles (BiFeO3 NPs), enabling efficient catalytic generation of ROS. Capitalizing on this nanozyme property, a sensitive colorimetric assay for alkaline phosphatase (ALP) detection was developed. BiFeO3 NPs can catalyze the oxidation of the chromogenic substrate 3,3’,5,5’-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) by H2O2, whereas pyrophosphate (PPi) significantly inhibits this catalytic activity. Conversely, ALP restores the catalytic activity of BiFeO3 by catalyzing the hydrolysis of PPi. The colorimetric signal generated through this specific inhibition-recovery mechanism enables the sensitive detection of ALP. Under optimal reaction conditions, the developed method demonstrated a linear response range of 0.040 to 1.0 U/L, achieving a detection limit as low as 0.026 U/L with high selectivity and robust anti-interference capability. Additionally, this method was successfully implemented for ALP detection in artificial saliva samples, achieving recoveries of 95.6–102.9% with a relative standard deviation below 5.0%, showcasing its practical potential for detection in complex biological fluids. This research provides new insights into the application of ferroelectric materials in nanozyme applications and offers a reliable technical approach for the efficient detection of ALP.