Organic-inorganic hybrid microcapsules (AP-capsules) were fabricated by sequential preparation of calcium alginate microcapsules (Alg-capsules), followed by the addition of the Alg-capsules to an aqueous solution of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) in mild conditions without the use of any catalyst. Results showed that the shell thickness of AP-capsules was found to vary with time during the APTES incorporation onto the Alg-capsules, suggesting that the shell thickness was dependent on the amount of CaCl 2 contained initially in the core solution as well as on the reaction time. A model enzyme, formate dehydrogenase (FDH), was successfully encapsulated in AP-capsules, and maximum efficiency of encapsulation was found with the capsule size of 1 mm diameter. The AP-capsules were reused efficiently for 10 cycles without loss of FDH activity. The approach developed in this study could evolve as a generic platform of enzyme immobilization for biotechnology applications using core-shell microcapsule technology.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.