(567aq) Enzyme Immobilization for Increased Catalytic Lifetime

Green catalysis is gaining attention as a means of improving existing industrial processes while reducing their ecological footprint. Investigating reusable and multi-reaction enzyme catalysts extends the possibility for new, more benign chemistries. Current limitations in the application of green catalysis are the costs associated with the recovery of enzymes from products as well as the stability of enzymes over process lifetimes. This project addresses both of these issues by immobilizing enzymes on magnetic support materials. Magnetic nanoparticles provide large surface area for enzyme immobilization, a rapid, non-chemical and non-gravimetric method for enzyme recapture, and increased enzyme stability resulting in increased catalytic lifetimes. The goals of this project are to: 1) immobilize a system of enzymes on magnetic carriers; 2) assess the stability of the immobilized enzymes over a range of pH's and temperatures and 3) assess the stability of the immobilized enzymes over time by performing recycling tests.