Enzyme immobilisation using siliceous mesoporous molecular sieves

The use of mesoporous molecular sieves in enzyme immobilisation has been studied. Three different types of mesoporous sieves (MCM-41, MCM-48 and SBA-15) were selected because of the differences in their pore dimensions and structures. Commercially available porous silica gel was chosen for comparison. The model enzyme chosen in this study was trypsin. The samples of immobilised trypsin were active for the hydrolysis of N-α-benzoyl-dl-arginine-4-nitroanilide (BAPNA). The amount of enzyme adsorbed on the supports was found to be related to the pore size of the molecular sieves. Moreover, the pore size and the structure of the support also affected the activity of the supported enzymes.