Mimicking the self-organizing principles of enzyme active sites, we describe the spontaneous assembly of an imidazole-functionalized naphthalenediimide amphiphile in water that efficiently catalyzes ester hydrolysis. The self-assembled amphiphile provides hydrophobic pockets and an organized catalytic environment, accelerating the reaction rates. This architecture closely mimics the active sites of natural esterases, offering a powerful platform for biomimetic catalysis in aqueous media.

Abstract

In nature, enzymes efficiently catalyze various biochemical reactions with remarkable efficiency in water, where self-assembly plays a crucial role in functional organization. Mimicking natural enzymes, artificial catalytic systems have been developed, though the majority of them operate in nonaqueous media. In this work, we report the spontaneous self-assembly of an imidazole-functionalized naphthalenediimide (NDI)-based non-ionic amphiphile in water by using noncovalent interactions. The resulting supramolecular structure displays layered morphology, providing hydrophobic pockets and an ordered arrangement of the catalytic residues. This demonstrates efficient catalytic hydrolysis for a series of nitrophenyl esters and aspirin in aqueous buffer solution, underscoring esterase‑mimetic activity and its environmental remediation potential. This work highlights the potential of self-assembled amphiphilic systems as effective enzyme mimics.