Encapsulated chemical and biological catalysts

我们建议合成一种新的颗粒，它包裹着一种具有生物活性的酶。一个几微米的水核将被由大约30纳米大小的颗粒组成的二氧化钛外壳所包围。这些颗粒将被稳定的表面活性剂产生的静电驱动力驱使到水滴的边缘。然后，整个颗粒将被包裹在一个聚合物外壳中，该外壳由外部相沉积而成。在制造后，必须在有机介质中，这些颗粒可以转移到任何所需的支持介质中。在演示了这些颗粒的制造后，项目的下一阶段将检查其生物活性。预计会出现质量区域或反应传递受限的反应。葡萄糖氧化物酶有一个连接在酶上的辅因子(黄素腺嘌呤二核苷酸)，这些辅因子会将溶解氧还原为过氧化氢。其他酶，如酒精脱氢酶，有一个辅因子(NAD)，这是不附着的，因此浸出实验将形成一个重要的研究领域。

We propose to synthesise a novel particle, which encapsulates a biologically active enzyme. An aqueous core of a few microns will be surrounded with a titania shell made up of particles of about 30 nm in size. These particles will be driven to the edge of the aqueous drop by an electrostatic driving force created by the stabilising surfactant. The entire particle will then be encased in a polymer shell, created by deposition from an external phase. After manufacture, necessarily in an organic media, the particles can be transferred into any desired supporting media.After demonstrating manufacture of these particles, the next stage of the project will be to examine the biological activity. Regimes of mass or reaction transfer limited reaction are expected. Glucose oxidase enzymes have a cofactor (flavin adenine dinucleotide) that is attached to the enzyme and these will reduce dissolved oxygen to hydrogen peroxide. Other enzymes, such as alcohol dehydrogenase have a co-factor (NAD), which is not attached, and as such leaching experiments will form an important area of study.