Thermal Stabilization of Enzymes Immobilized within Carbon Paste Electrodes

In this note we report on the remarkable thermal stabilization of enzymes immobilized in carbon paste electrodes. Amperometric biosensors are shown for the first time to withstand a prolonged high-temperature (>50 °C) stress. Nearly full activity of glucose oxidase is retained over periods of up to 4 months of thermal stress at 60-80 °C. Dramatic improvements in the thermostability are observed for polyphenol oxidase, lactate oxidase, alcohol oxidase, horseradish peroxidase, and amino acid oxidase. Such resistance to heat-induced denaturation is attributed to the conformational rigidity of these biocatalysts within the highly hydrophobic (mineral oil or silicone grease) pasting liquid. While no chemical stabilizer is needed for attaining such protective action, it appears that low humidity (i.e., low water content) is essential for minimizing the protein mobility. Besides their implications for electrochemical biosensors, such observations should lead to a new generation of thermoresistant enzyme reactors based on nonpolar semisolid supports.