Defect Engineered Bi₂Te₃ Nanosheets with Enhanced Haloperoxidase Activity for Marine Antibiofouling

Abstract

Defective bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) nanosheets, an artificial nanozyme mimicking haloperoxidase activity (hPOD), show promise as eco‐friendly, bactericidal, and antimicrofouling materials by enhancing cytotoxic hypohalous acid production from halides and H2O2. Microscopic and spectroscopic characterization reveals that controlled NaOH (upto X = 250 µL) etching of the nearly inactive non‐transition metal chalcogenide Bi2Te3 nanosheets creates controlled defects (d), such as Bi3+species, in d‐Bi2Te3‐X that induces enhanced hPOD activity. d‐Bi2Te3‐250 exhibits approximately eight‐fold improved hPOD than the as‐grown Bi2Te3 nanosheets. The antibacterial activity of d‐Bi2Te3‐250 nanozymes, studied by bacterial viability, show 1, and 45% viability for Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respectively, prevalent in marine environments. The hPOD mechanism is confirmed using scavengers, implicating HOBr and singlet oxygen for the effect. The antimicrofouling property of the d‐Bi2Te3‐250 nanozyme has been studied on Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm in a lab setting by multiple assays, and also on titanium (Ti) plates coated with the nanozyme mixed commercial paint, exposed to seawater in a real setting. All studies, including direct microscopic evidence, exhibit inhibition of microfouling, up to ≈73%, in the presence of nanozymes. This approach showcases that defect engineering can induce antibacterial, and antimicrofouling activity in non‐transition metal chalcogenides, offering an inexpensive alternative to noble metals.