The influence of nanoparticles on enzymatic bioelectrocatalysis

In nearly all papers concerning enzyme-nanoparticle based bio-electronic devices, it is stated that the presence of nanoparticles on electrode surfaces per se enhances bioelectrocatalysis, although the reasons for that enhancement are often unclear. Here, we report detailed experimental evidence that neither an overpotential of bioelectrocatalysis, nor direct electron transfer and bioelectrocatalytic reaction rates for an adsorbed enzyme depend on the size of nanoparticles within the range of 20-80 nm, i.e. for nanoparticles that are considerably larger than the enzyme molecules.