Polyphosphazenes as Tunable and Recyclable Supports To Immobilize Alcohol Dehydrogenases and Lipases: Synthesis, Catalytic Activity, and Recycling Efficiency

Polyphosphazenes for the Stille reaction: a new type of recyclable stannyl reagent

A random phosphazene copolymer {[N = P((CH2)7-Br)Ph]0.5[N = PMePh]0.5}n (2) and a block copolyphosphazene {[N = P((CH2)7-Br)Ph]0.5[N = PMePh]0.5}45-b-[N = P(O2C12H8)]55 (5), having a branch with two randomly distributed units, have been synthesized and used as precursors for the stannyl derivatives {[N = P((CH2)7-SnBu2An)Ph]0.5[N = PMePh]0.5}n (3) and {[N = P((CH2)7-SnBu2An)Ph]0.5[N = PMePh]0.5}45-b-[N = P(O2C12H8)]55 (6, An = p-MeOC6H4). Polymers 3 and 6 were tested as recyclable tin reagents in the Stille cross-coupling reaction with ArI, using various Pd catalysts and different experimental conditions. Polymer 6 can be recycled without a significant release of tin, but its efficiency decreased after three consecutive cycles. This effect was explained by studying the self-assembly of the polymer under the same conditions used for the catalytic experiments, which evidenced the progressive coalescence of the polymeric vesicles (polymersomes) leading to stable and bigger core-shell aggregates by the attraction of the [N = P(O2C12H8)] rich membranes, thus decreasing the accessibility of the tin active centers.

Injectable and cross-linkable polyphosphazene hydrogels for space-filling scaffolds

Injectable and cross-linkable polyphosphazene hydrogel for space-filling scaffolds.

Preparation of coaxial-electrospun poly[bis(p-methylphenoxy)]phosphazene nanofiber membrane for enzyme immobilization

A core/sheath nanofiber membrane with poly[bis(p-methylphenoxy)]phosphazene (PMPPh) as the sheath and easily spinnable polyacrylonitrile (PAN) as the core was prepared via a coaxial electrospinning process. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the morphology of the nanofiber membrane. It was found that the concentration of the PAN spinning solution and the ratio of the core/sheath solution flow rates played a decisive role in the coaxial electrospinning process. In addition, the stabilized core/sheath PMPPh nanofiber membrane was investigated as a support for enzyme immobilization because of its excellent biocompatibility, high surface/volume ratio, and large porosity. Lipase from Candida rugosa was immobilized on the nanofiber membrane by adsorption. The properties of the immobilized lipase on the polyphosphazene nanofiber membrane were studied and compared with those of a PAN nanofiber membrane. The results showed that the adsorption capacity (20.4 ± 2.7 mg/g) and activity retention (63.7%) of the immobilized lipase on the polyphosphazene nanofiber membrane were higher than those on the PAN membrane.

Directed, strong, and reversible immobilization of proteins tagged with a β-trefoil lectin domain: a simple method to immobilize biomolecules on plain agarose matrixes

A highly stable lipase from Geobacillus thermocatenolatus (BTL2) and the enhanced green fluorescent protein from Aquorea victoria (EGFP) were recombinantly produced N-terminally tagged to the lectin domain of the hemolytic pore-forming toxin LSLa from the mushroom Laetiporus sulphureus . Such a domain (LSL(150)), recently described as a novel fusion tag, is based on a β-trefoil scaffold with two operative binding sites for galactose or galactose-containing derivatives. The fusion proteins herein analyzed have enabled us to characterize the binding mode of LSL(150) to polymeric and solid substrates such as agarose beads. The lectin-fusion proteins are able to be quantitatively bound to both cross-linked and non-cross-linked agarose matrixes in a very rapid manner, resulting in a surprisingly dynamic protein distribution inside the porous beads that evolves from heterogeneous to homogeneous along the postimmobilization time. Such dynamic distribution can be related to the reversible nature of the LSL(150)-agarose interaction. Furthermore, this latter interaction is temperature dependent since it is 4-fold stronger when the immobilization takes place at 25 °C than when it does at 4 °C. The strongest lectin-agarose interaction is also quite stable under a survey of different conditions such as high temperatures (up to 60 °C) or high organic solvent concentrations (up to 60% of acetonitrile). Notably, the use of cross-linked agarose would endow the system with more robustness due to its better mechanical properties compared to the noncross-linked one. The stability of the LSL(150)-agarose interaction would prevent protein leaching during the operation process unless high pH media are used. In summary, we believe that the LSL(150) lectin domain exhibits interesting structural features as an immobilization domain that makes it suitable to reversibly immobilize industrially relevant enzymes in very simple carriers as agarose.