Immobilization of Lipase on Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes in Ionic Liquid

Abstract

A lipase from Pseudomonas cepacia was immobilized onto single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in two different ways in each of two solvent systems (buffer and ionic liquid). The most efficient immobilization was achieved in ionic liquid (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, BMIM-BF4). In this procedure, carbon nanotubes were first functionalized noncovalently with 1-pyrenebutyric acid N-hydroxysuccinimide ester and then subject to the coupling reaction with the lipase in ionic liquid. The resulting immobilized enzyme displayed the highest activity in the transesterification of 1-phenylethyl alcohol in the presence of vinyl acetate in toluene.