Immobilization of Glucose Oxidase and 2-Hydroxybiphenyl 3-Monooxygenase in Mesoporous Silica: Characterization Studies and Construction of an Amperometric Glucose Biosensor

Immobilization techniques that preserve the activity of biomolecules have many potential applications. Mesoporous silica has been used to encapsulate a wide variety of biomolecules. In this particular work, MCM-41 silica has been used as a matrix for the immobilization of two important enzymes, HpbA and GOx. The enzyme 2-hydroxybiphenyl 3-monooxygenase (HpbA) is involved in the microbial degradation of 2-hydroxy and 2,2'-dihydroxybiphenyl, which occurs during the desulfurization of coal and petroleum, while Glucose oxidase (GOx) catalyzes the oxidation of -D-glucose to -gluconolactone. The silica-enzyme hybrids were extensively characterized and the one with GOx was used for the construction of a biosensor.