Entrapment in HydrIL gels: hydro-ionic liquid polymer gels for enzyme immobilization

• Published in: Catalysis Today
• Main Authors: Pérez-Tomás, José Ángel, Brucato, Rebekah, Griffin, Preston, Kostal, Jakub, Brown, Gareth, Mix, Stefan, Marr, Patricia C., Marr, Andrew C.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2024
• Subjects: Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/caeb2e8a-9ac9-494c-8c24-3b7e64b2edbf; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cattod.2024.114595; https://pureadmin.qub.ac.uk/ws/files/557108636/Gels.pdf

Enzyme entrapment in hydro-ionic liquid gels (HydrIL gels) was explored as an enzyme immobilization strategy. The liquid phase of the gels was a mixture of buffer and tributyl methyl phosphonium alkanesulfonate [P 4441 ][RSO 3 ] ionic liquids. The ionic liquid modifies the liquid phase creating a more “organic” hydrophobic microenvironment around the enzyme. In the esterification of a secondary alcohol by Candida antarctica Lipase B, a 20-fold enhancement in final substrate conversion was achieved using an HydrIL gel compared to a standard poly(acrylamide) hydrogel. Co-polymerization of the poly(acrylamide) matrix with acrylate monomers led to further increases in reaction rate. A CalB HydrIL gel was reused over 10 reaction cycles, achieving a consistent performance from the fifth cycle. IL leaching became undetectable from the third reaction cycle.