Open AccessImmobilization of enzymes onto carbon nanotubes
Author(s) -
Z Nevena Prlainovic,
Dejan Bezbradica,
Zorica KneževićJugović,
Dragan Marinković,
Dušan Ž. Mijin
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
hemijska industrija
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.147
H-Index - 19
eISSN - 2217-7426
pISSN - 0367-598X
DOI - 10.2298/hemind110330028p
Subject(s) - carbon nanotube , covalent bond , surface modification , adsorption , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , selective chemistry of single walled nanotubes , circular dichroism , materials science , scanning electron microscope , desorption , carbon nanobud , immobilized enzyme , transmission electron microscopy , chemistry , nanotube , optical properties of carbon nanotubes , organic chemistry , enzyme , crystallography , composite material , engineering
The discovery of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has opened a new door in nanotechnology. With their high surface area, unique electronic, thermal and mechanical properties, CNTs have been widely used as carriers for protein immobilization. In fact, carbon nanotubes present ideal support system without diffusional limitations, and also have the possibility of surface covalent functionalization. It is usually the oxidation process that introduces carboxylic acid groups. Enzymes and other proteins could be adsorbed or covalently attached onto carbon nanotubes. Adsorption of enzyme is a very simple and inexpensive immobilization method and there are no chemical changes of the protein. It has also been found that this technique does not alter structure and unique properties of nanotubes. However, a major problem in process designing is relatively low stability of immobilized protein and desorption from the carrier. On the other hand, while covalent immobilization provides durable attachment the oxidation process can reduce mechanical and electronic properties of carbon nanotubes. It can also affect the active site of enzyme and cause the loss of enzyme activity. Bioimmobilization studies have showed that there are strong interactions between carbon nanotubes surface and protein. The retention of enzyme structure and activity is critical for their application and it is of fundamental interest to understand the nature of these interactions. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy provide an insight into the structural changes that occur during the immobilization. The aim of this paper is to summarize progress of protein immobilization onto carbon nanotubes