Immobilization of Carbonic Anhydrase on Modified Electrospun Poly(Lactic Acid) Membranes: Quest for Optimum Biocatalytic Performance

Electrospun poly (lactic acid) membranes modified with graphene oxide (GO) and nano sized metal organic frameworks (nMOF) were synthesized, characterized and used for the immobilization of carbonic anhydrase (CA). The mechanical strength and young's modulus of the membrane were slightly decreased when GO and nMOF were introduced, due to irregularity in the dispersion. On the other hand, the incorporation of GO into the membrane increased its thermal degradation temperature. Enzyme loading was substantially improved with GO and nMOF integration (similar to 1.83 and similar to 1.57 times higher than that of poly (lactic acid)). Thermal stability, storage stability and reusability of immobilized CA, all of which are important for industrial applications, were also found to be enhanced significantly.