Enzyme Catalysis in Non-Native Environment with Unnatural Selectivity Using Polymeric Nanoreactors

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Biocatalysis
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Enzyme catalysis in organic solvents presents challenges in selectivity and stability.
• Developing robust systems for enzyme encapsulation is crucial for non-native reaction conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a self-assembled enzyme nanoreactor system using amphiphilic copolymers in organic solvents.
• To investigate the control of enzyme accessibility and substrate selectivity within the nanoreactor.

Main Methods:

• Self-assembly of amphiphilic random copolymers with enzymes in organic solvents.
• Utilizing cross-linkable functional groups in hydrophobic polymer compartments.
• Assessing enzyme activity, stability, and substrate selectivity of the formed nanoreactors.

Main Results:

• Enzymes were successfully encapsulated within polymer nanoreactors without denaturation, preserving catalytic activity.
• Controlled accessibility to the enzyme active site was achieved via polymer architecture.
• The nanoreactor system demonstrated unnatural substrate selectivity, modulated by the polymer host.

Conclusions:

• Amphiphilic copolymer systems effectively form stable enzyme nanoreactors in organic solvents.
• Polymer-controlled substrate accessibility leads to enhanced and tunable enzyme selectivity.
• These nanoreactors show significant potential for selective organic synthesis under non-native conditions.