Layer-by-layer assembly of brushes of vertically-standing enzymatic nanotubes

Brushes of vertically-standing enzyme-containing nanotubes are prepared onto planar surfaces by a combination of hard-templating and layer-by-layer assembly. The nanotubes have a core-shell morphology made of two compartments, one for mechanical rigidity, the other containing β-lactamase for bioactivity. We demonstrate inclusion of the enzymatic component either in the core or in the shell part of the nanotubes. Kinetic studies reveal that both types of systems are bioactive but that the activity is significantly better preserved over long time periods when β-lactamase is incorporated in the core of the nanotubes.