Recent development in the design of artificial enzymes through molecular imprinting technology

Enzymes, a class of proteins or RNA with high catalytic efficiency and specificity, have inspired generations of scientists to develop enzyme mimics with similar capabilities. Many enzyme mimics have been developed in the past few decades based on small molecules, DNA, and nanomaterials. These artificial enzymes are of great interest because of their low cost and high stability. However, most of these enzyme mimics do not have the desired substrate selectivity. The substrate selectivity of natural enzymes usually stems from a specific binding pocket. A powerful method to create substrate binding cavities is molecular imprinting technology (MIT). Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have three main characteristics: structural predictability, identification specificity, and application versatility compared with other identification systems. The MIP-based artificial enzymes have the advantages of simple preparation, low cost, and high stability and can realize excellent catalytic activity and selectivity. The development of MIP-based artificial enzymes has been further promoted by optimization methods such as imprinting transition state molecules, post-imprinting modification, opening cross-linked polymers’ internal space, and some special preparation methods. Combining molecular imprinting technology with nanozymes, the synergistic effect of both solved the defect of lack of specificity of nanozymes and improved their catalytic activity. This paper summarizes the recent research progress in preparing high-performance artificial enzymes based on MIPs and molecularly imprinted nanozymes. We hope to provide a reference for the design of artificial enzymes, reduce the gap between artificial enzymes and natural enzymes, and thus broaden the application of artificial enzymes in human life and production.