Biodegradation of soluble redox polymers. 1. (0.017ferrocene)amylose

The reaction of amylose with NaH and FcCH2NMe3+I- in dimethyl sulfoxide brought about a redox-labeled polymer with a low degree of modification, viz. 1 ferrocene residue per 60 glucose units. The preparation, (0.017ferrocene)amylose, displays one-electron irreversible behavior at a pyrographite electrode in terms of the Delahay formalism, the formal redox potential E degree' being equal to 0.38 V at pH 6 and 40 degrees C versus SCE. Specific to amylose enzymes endo-depolymerases, which carry out random hydrolysis, accept the labeled amylose providing a significant increase in the peak current on cyclic voltammograms. The absence of potential drifts suggests that the effect is due an increase in the diffusion coefficients of the amylose fragments in the course of enzymatic digestion of (0.017ferrocene)amylose. This proposal was confirmed by the simulation of experimental cyclic voltammograms. Several practical applications of the results of this study for electrochemical assaying the amylolytic activity and evaluation of the mechanisms of the enzymatic catalysis by amylases have been demonstrated.