Instant oxidase- and peroxidase-mimic activities of in-situ reductive coordinated Cu(I)-polytrithiocyanuric acid for HS colorimetric detection and antibacterial.

Integrating preparation and utilization of nanozymes in a "one-pot" approach offers advantages over conventional discrete synthesis and application methods by eliminating laborious syntheses, reducing energy consumption, and minimizing chemical waste. Herein, we revealed the instant oxidase- and peroxidase-mimic (OD-/POD-mimic) activities of in-situ formed Cu(I)-polytrithiocyanuric acid (i:Cu(I)-pTTCA) polymers. The polymers were assembled through reductive coordination between Cu and trithiocyanuric acid and immediately exhibited intrinsic OD- or POD-mimic activities. The presence of unsaturated Cu(I)···SC coordination moieties was identified as the underlying cause of the high OD-/POD-mimic activities of i:Cu(I)-pTTCA. This was confirmed by experiments and density functional theory calculations, which demonstrated that the coordination moieties facilitated the activation of O and HO into reactive oxygen species. The i:Cu(I)-pTTCA was formed in-situ and directly employed for the colorimetric detection of HS with a limit of detection of 0.032 μM and the visual array discrimination of HS and biothiols in the range of 0.5-10 μM. The i:Cu(I)-pTTCA was further demonstrated as a self-prescribed antibacterial agent capable of inactivating up to 98 % and 96 % of E. coli and S. aureus, respectively. Our findings provide an in-depth understanding of the direct formation-structure-catalysis relationship of nanozymes.