Multienzyme Mimicking Cascade Mn3O4 Catalyst to Augment Reactive Oxygen Species Elimination and Colorimetric Detection: A Study of Phase Variation upon Calcination Temperature

Over decades, nanozyme has served as a better replacement of bioenzymes and fulfills most of the shortcomings and intrinsic disadvantages of bioenzymes. Recently, manganese-based nanomaterials have been highly noticed for redox-modulated multienzyme mimicking activity and wide applications in biosensing and biomedical science. The redox-modulated multienzyme mimicking activity was highly in tune with their size, surface functionalization, and charge on the surface and phases. On the subject of calcination temperature to Mn3O4 nanoparticles (NPs), its phase has been transformed to Mn2O3 NPs and Mn5O8 NPs upon different calcination temperatures. Assigning precise structure–property connections is made easier by preparing the various manganese oxides in a single step. The present study has focused on the variation of multienzyme mimicking activity with different phases of Mn3O4 NPs, so that they can be equipped for multifunctional activity with greater potential. Herein, spherical Mn3O4 NPs have been synthesized via a one-step coprecipitation method, and other phases are obtained by direct calcination. The calcination temperature varies to 100, 200, 400, and 600 °C and the corresponding manganese oxide NPs are named M-100, M-200, M-400, and M-600, respectively. The phase transformation and crystalline structure are evaluated by powder X-ray diffraction and selected-area electron diffraction analysis. The different surface morphologies are easily navigated by Fourier transform infrared, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis. Fortunately, for the mixed valence state of Mn3O4 NPs, all phases of manganese oxide NPs showed multienzyme mimicking activity including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, oxidase (OD), and peroxidase; therefore, it offers a synergistic antioxidant ability to overexpose reactive oxygen species. Mn3O4 NPs exhibited good SOD-like enzyme activity, which allowed it to effectively remove the active oxygen (O2•–) from cigarette smoke. A sensitive colorimetric sensor with a low detection limit and a promising linear range has been designed to detect two isomeric phenolic pollutants, hydroquinone (H2Q) and catechol (CA), by utilizing optimized OD activity. The current probe has outstanding sensitivity and selectivity as well as the ability to visually detect two isomers with the unaided eye.