Cytochrome C with Peroxidase-like Activity Supported on Plasmonic AuNPs: Improved Stability and Enhanced Nanobioplasmonic Catalytic Conversion

Metallic nanoparticles have been extensively used to adsorb biomolecules and improve their stability under broader conditions. This study focuses on the interaction of Cytochrome C (CytC) and gold nanoparticles (AuNP), CytC@AuNP. Circular dichroism (CD) and Raman show significant differences in secondary structure, mainly in alpha-helix. CD ramp temperatures revealed enhanced thermal stability of CytC@AuNP, as evidenced by a refolding of the alpha-helix conformation of CytC and a delay in denaturation temperature by approximately 15 degrees C. Catalytic oxidation performed with CytC@AuNP showed a hyperbolic profile up to 104 % higher yields compared to CytC, which exhibited a linear profile and 30 % loss of activity after thermal treatment. The same reaction performed upon plasmon stimulus comparatively increased the catalytic yield of CytC@AuNP in 12 %, although it had no effect on free CytC. This study highlights the advantages of adsorbing biomolecules on nanoparticles and is a glimpse at plasmon-driven nanobiocatalysis.