Immobilization of penicillin G acylase on poly[(glycidyl methacrylate)-co-(glycerol monomethacrylate)]-grafted magnetic microspheres

Poly[(glycidyl methacrylate)-co-(glycerol monomethacrylate)]-grafted magnetic microspheres were prepared by graft random copolymerization via ATRP from polymer microspheres with dispersed Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Penicillin G acylase (PGA) was immobilized onto the polymer brush-grafted magnetic microspheres. The immobilized PGA prepared with initial glycidyl methacrylate/ glycerol monomethacrylate ratios of 40/60 to 60/40 possessed higher catalytic activity than that prepared with higher proportions of glycidyl methacrylate in the initial monomer mixture. The immobilized PGA showed high thermal stability and enhanced tolerability to the pH variance.