Langmuir-Blodgett films of lipase for biocatalysis

Lipase thin films were fabricated by means of the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique and then structurally and functionally characterized by means of biophysical techniques toward biocatalytic applications. Protein films were studied at the air-water interface and then transferred onto a solid support by means of the horizontal lift method, namely, the Langmuir-Schaefer (LS) method. The biophysical studies were carried out mainly by means of Brewster Angle Microscopy (BAM), UV-Vis spectroscopy, quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and circular dichroism (CD) allowed to analyze the main properties and features of such enzyme films. Finally, the functionality of lipase in the Langmuir-Blodgett films was checked with the monitoring of the enzymatic catalysis. The results indicated that the catalytic activity of the enzyme not only was preserved but also increased with respect the solution. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.