(66f) Fabrication of Active Enzyme Fibers Via Electrospinning

The use of enzymes for chemical conversion is of great interest when chemo, regio, and stereo specific products are of vital importance.  Enzymatic conversions also allows for catalysis at moderate conditions however the major limiting factor in the use of enzymes for large scale operation is the cost of enzymes.  This disadvantage can be minimized by extending the catalytic lifetime of the typically short lived enzyme enzymes, usually by immobilization.  Electrospinning has been used to immobilize enzymes within nanofiber polymer matrices either through encapsulation or covalent attachment to the fibers.  Through the use of concentric electrospinning, we have reported the first enzymatically active enzyme fibers of cellulase.  Composites were also generated using the same technique with a coaxial configuration with cellulase in the inner core and a polymer (Nafion) in the outer shell.  Fibers provide a higher surface area when compared to protein immobilized on films translating to high active site accessibility and activity while allowing for ease of handling and reuse.  The outer shell Nafion helps hydrolyze cellulose which then is broken down to glucose by enzymes in the inner core.  These fibers can potentially be incorporated as reactive membranes for the production of biofuels using solid substrates under mild conditions.