A 3D ordered hierarchical crystalline porous organic salt for large-sized enzyme immobilization

Abstract

Crystalline porous organic salts (CPOSs) are an emerging class of promising materials with intrinsic highly polar nanoconfined microporosity. However, their single microporous structure greatly hinders their development in the field of catalysis and adsorption. Constructing a hierarchical porous structure can effectively reduce the mass transport resistance, thus expanding the scope of their applications. Herein, we report the synthesis of a three-dimensional (3D) ordered macro-/microporous hierarchical CPOS (HCPOS-1) using a template-assisted approach for the first time. The as-synthesized HCPOS-1 prepared from a polystyrene colloidal crystal template showcases a 3D ordered macroporous structure while also preserving the microporous structure. The 3D ordered macroporous structure in such a hierarchical structure, together with its hydrophilic surface, endows HCPOS-1 with the ability to immobilize large-sized enzymes through physical adsorption under mild conditions. The resulting catalase/HCPOS-1 showcases a high enzyme immobilization capacity and avoids undesired conformational changes of enzymes during the immobilization process, thus exhibiting excellent catalytic activity for the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide.