How Could the Physical Properties of Poly(vinyl alcohol) Influence Enzymatic Activity? A Detailed Study on Nanofibrous Catalysts Incorporating a Lipase from Burkholderia cepacia

Abstract

AbstractUtilizing the electrospinning technique to entrap enzymes within nanofibers (providing nanofibrous enzyme catalysts, NEC) offers promising avenues for the scientific and industrial sectors as well. While numerous instances of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)‐based nanofibrous biocatalysts have been documented, a comprehensive investigation to characterize the effect of PVA on catalytic activity is notably lacking. This study systematically investigates the effect of PVA properties, such as molecular weight (24–205 kDa), degree of hydrolysis (DoH, 88% and 98%), and polymer concentration (6–16 wt%), on the structure of PVA nanofibers and on the biocatalytic properties of a lipase from Burkholderia cepacia (BcL) entrapped into PVA nanofibers, ensuring 100% yield of immobilization. The PVA‐enzyme interactions were studied using viscometry, scanning electron microscopy, Raman mapping, differential scanning calorimetry, and computational docking simulations. Stereoselective hydrolysis and transesterification were used to evaluate enzyme activity. Results showed that the molecular weight and DoH of PVA have a significant effect on the biocatalytic activity of nanofibrous enzyme catalysts. Remarkably, activity yields (mostly exceeded 100%, with maximal yields achieved using fully hydrolyzed PVA) with a molecular weight of 61 kDa provided a 10‐fold increase in the specific enzymatic activity of BcL immobilized in nanofibers (90.6 U × g−1) compared to its native form (9.0 U × g−1).