Enzymes are versatile catalysts in the laboratory and on an industrial scale. To broaden their applicability in the laboratory and to ensure their (re)use in manufacturing the stability of enzymes can often require improvement. Immobilisation can address the issue of enzymatic instability. Immobilisation can also help to enable the employment of enzymes in different solvents, at extremes of pH and temperature and exceptionally high substrate concentrations. At the same time substrate-specificity, enantioselectivity and reactivity can be modified. However, most often the molecular and physical-chemical bases of these phenomena have not been elucidated yet. This tutorial review focuses on the understanding of enzyme immobilisation.
Mesoporous silicates (MPS) have an ordered pore structure with dimensions comparable to many biological molecules. They have been extensively explored as supports for proteins and enzymes in biocatalytic applications. Since their initial discovery, novel syntheses methods have led to precise control over pore size and structure, particle size, chemical composition, and stability, thus allowing the adsorption of a wide variety of biological macromolecules, such as heme proteins, lipases, antibody fragments, and proteases, into their structures. This Review discusses the application of ordered, large-pore, functionalized mesoporous silicates to immobilize proteins for biocatalysis.
The ever-increasing demands for clean and sustainable energy sources combined with rapid advances in bio-integrated portable or implantable electronic devices have stimulated intensive research activities in enzymatic (bio)fuel cells (EFCs). The use of renewable biocatalysts, the utilization of abundant green, safe, and high energy density fuels, together with the capability of working at modest and biocompatible conditions, make EFCs promising as next generation alternative power sources. However, the main challenges (low energy density, relatively low power density, poor operational stability and limited voltage output) hinder future applications of EFCs. This review aims at exploring the underlying mechanism of EFCs and providing possible practical strategies, methodologies and insights to tackle of these issues. Firstly, this review summarizes approaches in achieving high energy densities in EFCs, particularly, employing enzyme cascades for the deep/complete oxidation of fuels. Secondly, strategies for increasing power densities in EFCs, including increasing enzyme activities, facilitating electron transfers, employing nanomaterials, and designing more efficient enzyme-electrode interfaces, are described. The potential of EFCs/(super)capacitor combination is discussed. Thirdly, the review evaluates a range of strategies for improving the stability of EFCs, including the use of different enzyme immobilization approaches, tuning enzyme properties, designing protective matrixes, and using microbial surface displaying enzymes. Fourthly, approaches for the improvement of the cell voltage of EFCs are highlighted. Finally, future developments and a prospective on EFCs are envisioned.
The adsorption of cytochrome c onto a range of different mesoporous silicates (MPS) was studied. The materials used, templated using both cationic and nonionic surfactants, have average pore-size diameters in the range from 28 to 130 Å. Cytochrome c was found to bind to all MPS investigated, with the pore diameter of the material, which was measured by N 2 gas adsorption, being crucial to mesopore penetration. The adsorption of a range of proteins with isoelectric points between 1 and 10 was investigated. For adsorption to occur, the surface charges of the protein and of the MPS must be complementary, in addition to the requirement that the pore diameter be sufficiently large. Pepsin at pH 6.5, for example, is negatively charged and does not adsorb onto cyano-modified silicate whereas subtilisin, which is of a similar size and bears an overall positive charge, is adsorbed. Using resonance Raman spectroscopy, cytochrome c was observed to occur in both high spin and low spin states, in contrast to that in solution, where the protein is predominantly in the low spin state. The presence of the high spin state may account for the enhanced peroxidative activity of the adsorbed protein.
Mesoproous silicates (MPS) are attractive materials for the immobilisation of enzymes. They possess 5 ordered pore structures, narrow pore size distributions, large surface areas, high stability and can be chemically modified with various functional groups. The properties of MPS materials are reviewed in terms of their ability to act as supports for enzymes for use in biocatalysis with a particular focus on the ability to tailor the surface functionalization of the MPS to suit a specific enzyme. While many reports of the immobilisation of enzymes on MPS have been described, their use as biocatalytic supports is limited. 10Large scale reactors based on MPS will require continuous flow systems where the properties of the support can be tailored while allowing fluid flow at reasonable low pressure.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.