Polymer-protein conjugate particles with biocatalytic activity for stabilization of water-in-water emulsions

Xue, Long-Hui; Xie, Chun-Yan; Meng, Shi-Xin; Bai, Rui-Xue; Yang, Xin; Wang, Yaolei; Wang, Shu; Binks, Bernard P.; Guo, Ting; Meng, Tao

Abstract

Water-in-water (w/w) emulsions are attractive micro-compartmentalized platforms due to their outstanding biocom-patibility. To address the main disadvantage of poor stability that hampers their practical application, here we report a novel type of polymer-protein conjugate emulsifier obtained by Schiff base synthesis to stabilize w/w emulsions. In par-ticular, the proposed mild approach benefits the modification of proteins of suitable size and wettability as particulate emulsifiers retaining their bioactivity. As demonstrated in a model system, the methoxy polyethylene glycol (mPEG)-urease conjugate particles anchor at the w/w interfaces, where they serve as an effective emulsifier-combined-catalyst and catalyze the hydrolysis of urea in water to ammonium carbonate. Our study is unique in that it employs bioactive particles to stabilize w/w emulsions. Considering the characteristics of all-aqueous, compartmental and interfacial bio-catalysis of the system, it will open up new possibilities in the life sciences.

Citation

Xue, L.-H., Xie, C.-Y., Meng, S.-X., Bai, R.-X., Yang, X., Wang, Y., Wang, S., Binks, B. P., Guo, T., & Meng, T. (2017). Polymer-protein conjugate particles with biocatalytic activity for stabilization of water-in-water emulsions. ACS Macro Letters, 6(7), 679-683. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmacrolett.7b00294

• Acceptance Date: Jun 12, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Jun 14, 2017
• Publication Date: Jul 18, 2017
• Deposit Date: Jun 14, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 15, 2018
• Journal: ACS macro letters
• Electronic ISSN: 2161-1653
• Publisher: American Chemical Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 6
• Issue: 7
• Pages: 679-683
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmacrolett.7b00294
• Keywords: mPEG-protein conjugate particles, Emulsifiers, Water-in-water emulsions, Biocatalytic activity, Compartmentalization
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/452031
• Publisher URL: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsmacrolett.7b00294
• Additional Information: This is a description of an article which has been published in: ACS macro letters, 2017, v.6, issue 7
• Contract Date: Jun 14, 2017