Arginine-Rich Peptide–Rhodium Nanocluster@Reduced Graphene Oxide Composite as a Highly Selective and Active Uricase-like Nanozyme for the Degradation of Uric Acid and Inhibition of Urate Crystal

Metal nanozymes have offered attractive opportunities for biocatalysis and biomedicine. However, fabricating nanozymes simultaneously possessing highly catalytic selectivity and activity remains a great challenge due to the lack of three-dimensional (3D) architecture of the catalytic pocket in natural enzymes. Here, we integrate rhodium nanocluster (RhNC), reduced graphene oxide (rGO), and protamine (PRTM, a typical arginine-rich peptide) into a composite facilely based on the single peptide. Remarkably, the PRTM-RhNC@rGO composite displays outstanding selectivity, activity, and stability for the catalytic degradation of uric acid. The reaction rate constant of the uric acid oxidation catalyzed by the PRTM-RhNC@rGO composite is about 1.88 × 10–3 s–1 (4 μg/mL), which is 37.6 times higher than that of reported RhNP (k = 5 × 10–5 s–1, 20 μg/mL). Enzyme kinetic studies reveal that the PRTM-RhNC@rGO composite exhibits a similar affinity for uric acid as natural uricase. Furthermore, the uricase-like activity of PRTM-RhNC@rGO nanozymes remains in the presence of sulfur substances and halide ions, displaying incredibly well antipoisoning abilities. The analysis of the structure–function relationship indicates the PRTM-RhNC@rGO composite features the substrate binding site near the catalytic site in a confined space contributed by 2D rGO and PRTM, resulting in the high-performance of the composite nanozyme. Based on the outstanding uricase-like activity and the interaction of PRTM and uric acid, the PRTM-RhNC@rGO composite can retard the urate crystallization significantly. The present work provides new insights into the design of metal nanozymes with suitable binding sites near catalytic sites by mimicking pocket-like structures in natural enzymes based on simple peptides, conducing to broadening the practical application of high-performance nanozymes in biomedical fields.