Fe₃O₄/g‐C₃N₄ Nanozyme for Production of L‐DOPA as Mimetics of Tyrosine Hydroxylase

Abstract L‐DOPA is in large demand as the mainstay of therapeutic treatment for Parkinson's disease. The development of a facile route is urgently required for production of L‐DOPA. A nanozyme was developed for biomimetic synthesis of L‐DOPA by mimicking natural tyrosine hydroxylase. Fe₃O₄/g‐C₃N₄ nanocomposite was fabricated by introducing iron oxide into g‐C₃N₄ nanosheets. Formation of Fe−N bonds with structure resembled the active center. The nanozyme possessed superparamagnetic characteristics and wide light response range. The nanozyme exhibited similar activity as tyrosine hydroxylase by catalyzing hydroxylation of tyrosine in the presence of visible light irradiation and hydrogen peroxide. Maximum yield and titer was obtained as 15% and 1 mM for production of L‐DOPA, respectively. The nanozyme demonstrated high stability and reusability. The nanozyme catalyzed the reaction in an analogous mechanism with Fe^IVO²⁺ as the dominant active species. It might provide a promising insight to produce L‐DOPA due to advantages of easy separation and mild conditions.