Enzyme Engineering
Open Access

Abstract

Macroporous Poly(Vinyl Acetate-Co-Divinyl Benzene) Copolymer Beads as Adsorptive Support for the Direct Immobilization of Candida antarctica Lipase B

Tambe A, Vyasarayani R, Datla A, Ponrathnam S and Demnerova K

A series of macroporous poly(vinyl acetate-co-divinyl benzene) [poly(VAc-co-DVB)] copolymer beads with varying cross-link density (CLD) were synthesized by suspension polymerization and used as support for the immobilization of Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) with and without saponification. These copolymer beads have average pore diameter and BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) surface area ranging between 69 nm to 115 nm and 89 m2/g to 204 m2/g respectively. On immobilization, non-saponified poly(VAc-co-DVB) copolymer beads with CLD 50% (PVAc-DVB-50-UH) showed higher tributyrin hydrolysis activity (2647.35 TBU/g dry beads) than that saponified beads (PVAc-DVB-50-H) (1706.54 TBU/g dry beads) indicating that direct immobilization without saponification is better for CALB immobilization. PVAc-DVB-50-UH showed 94.82% residual activity after 100 days of storage.