Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry, Vol.45, No.24, 5942-5948, 2007
Preparation of temperature-responsive polymer gels physically immobilizing core-shell type bioconjugates
Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) gels are temperature-responsive polymer gels; and were prepared by redox polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide in the presence of N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide as a crosslinking reagent and core-shell type bioconjugates, which were core-crosslinked polyion complex micelles formed from the mixture of bovine pancreas trypsin and poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(alpha,beta-aspartic acid). The phase transition temperature of PNIPAAm gels was no change with physically immobilization of bioconjugates. Also, the enzymatic activity of bioconjugates was essentially maintained even in PNIPAAm gels, although enzymatic reaction rate was apparently controlled by temperature, i.e., by the degree of swelling of PNIPAAm gels. Further, the control of enzymatic reaction synchronizing the phase transition of PNIPAAm gels immobilized bioconjugates. PNIPAAm gels could immobilize core-shell type bioconjugates, and were successfully prepared without interfering with the properties of temperature-responsive polymer gels and the bionanoreactor. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.