Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have become promising
host
materials for enzyme immobilization and protection. Herein, ZIF-8
nanocubes were successfully self-assembled onto yeast as a biological
template to obtain hybrid Y@ZIF-8. The size, morphology, and loading
efficiency of ZIF-8 nanoparticles assembled on yeast templates can
be well-regulated by adjusting the various synthetic parameters. Particularly,
the amount of water significantly affected the particle size of ZIF-8
assembled on yeast. Through using a cross-linking agent, the relative
enzyme activity of Y@ZIF-8@t-CAT could be greatly enhanced and remained
the highest even after seven consecutive cycles, with improved cycling
stability, as compared to that of Y@ZIF-8@CAT. In addition to the
effect of the physicochemical properties of Y@ZIF-8 on the loading
efficiency, the temperature tolerance, pH tolerance, and storage stability
of Y@ZIF-8@t-CAT were also systematically investigated. Importantly,
the catalytic activity of free catalase was decreased to 72% by 45
days, while the activity of the immobilized catalase remained above
99%, suggesting good storage stability. The present work demonstrates
that yeast-templated ZIF-8 nanoparticles have a high potential to
be used as biocompatible immobilization materials and are promising
candidates for the preparation of effective biocatalysts in biomedicine
applications.