Surface functionalized electrospun biodegradable nanofibers for immobilization of bioactive molecules

A blend mixture of biodegradable poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid)-poly(ethylene glycol)-NH2 (PLGA-b-PEG-NH2) block copolymer was electrospun to produce surface functionalized nanofibers. The resulting nanofibrous mesh with primary amine groups on the surface was applied for immobilization of biologically active molecules using lysozyme as a model enzyme. Lysozyme was immobilized via covalent conjugation by using a homobifunctional coupling agent. The nanofibrous mesh could immobilize a far greater amount of lysozyme on the surface with concomitantly increased activity, primarily due to its larger surface area, compared to that of the solvent casting film. It was also found that the enzyme immobilization process slightly altered thermal and pH-dependent catalytic activity profiles compared to those of native lysozyme. The results demonstrated the surface functionalized electrospun nanofibrous mesh could be used as a promising material for immobilizing a wide range of bioactive molecules.