Entrapment of atrazine chlorohydrolase in sol–gel glass matrix

Abstract

Atrazine chlorohydrolase was purified from cell extracts of Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP and immobilized in sol–gel matrices of different hydrophobicity. Experiments were made with various amounts of water and under different drying conditions. Under optimal conditions, more than 40% of the activity of the free enzyme was maintained in the sol–gel matrix for more than 3 weeks. The more hydrophobic sol–gel matrices gave the best results in maintaining atrazine chlorohydrolase activity.