Chapter 4 - Polyelectrolyte assembly with nanoparticle-immobilized enzymes

Abstract

The concept of enzyme immobilization was developed to transform biological catalysts into reaction catalysts that can work in a non-native state and withstand harsh conditions for an extended period of time. Recent advances in nanotechnology have led to the discovery of new nanoparticles with one or more external dimensions that have a wide range of applications in the fabrication of immobilized enzymes. Polyelectrolyte assembly is a multi-component system of oppositely charged macromolecules that interact electrostatically to form an organized structure on the nanoscale. To overcome the problems associated with traditional immobilization methods such as physical adsorption, crosslinking, and polymerization, the layer-by-layer (LBL) polyelectrolyte system is used to immobilize enzymes on nanoparticles. LBL assembly for enzyme immobilization works by forming multilayers on the surface of an electrode or nanoparticle to covalently attach enzyme. It is difficult to adsorb enzyme in its native form and activity on any complex structure, but this can be accomplished through polyelectrolyte assembly. In comparison to other methods, polyelectrolyte LBL assembly achieved controllable enzyme immobilization on the nanoparticle surface with ease of operation. Although the method is simple to use, sensitive material assembly is a research topic. In this book chapter, we go over enzyme immobilization methods in depth, as well as recent advancements in the field.