Immobilization of Candida antarctic lipase B on MWNTs modified by ionic liquids with different functional groups

Abstract Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were modified by imidazole-based ionic liquids with different kinds of functional groups such as alkyl, carboxyl, amino and hydroxyl. The supports were used to immobilize Candida antarctic lipase B (CALB) and the influence of different functional groups of ionic liquids on enzymatic properties was investigated by the hydrolysis reaction of triacetin. The results revealed that the functionalization process did not destroy the structural integrity of MWNTs, and the enzymatic properities of CALB which immobilized on the MWNTs modified by ionic liquids with different kinds of functional groups were all improved. The hydroxyl functionalized ionic liquids which exhibited the best enzymatic properities was selected to investigate the effects of different carbon chain length on the enzymatic properties of immobilized CALB. Among them, CALB which immobilized on MWNTs modified by hydroxyl functionalized ionic liquid with suitable chain length (MWNTs-IL(8C)-OH-CALB) had the highest specific activity, with a specific activity of 18.11 times that of MWNTs-CALB. Furthermore, it also presented best thermal stability and reusability. The residual activity of MWNTs-IL(8C)-OH-CALB held over 64.01% of the initial activity after being incubated for 20 min at 70 °C, and the residual activity was 85.56% after 4 cycles of use.