Recent advances in enzyme immobilization techniques: Metal-organic frameworks as novel substrates

In the past few years, metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have drawn increasing research interest as bioimmobilization support materials. The unique properties of MOFs, including tunable porosity, desirable functionality, extremely high surface area, and chemical/thermal stability, have motivated a considerable interest in exploiting them as a potential matrix for enzyme immobilization. Improvements in the biocatalyst efficiency, promising recyclability, enhanced accessibility to active sites, and a high loading capacity are the main features of the novel MOF-enzyme supports. This review aims to cover the recent progress in the application of MOFs as enzyme immobilization supports. We discuss different approaches used in the development of MOF-enzyme biocatalytic supports, such as surface adsorption, diffusion, and in-situ encapsulation. The trends in current developments and the significance of each strategy are critically reviewed in this paper. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.