Electrospun Nanofibers for Entrapment of Biomolecules

Abstract

This chapter focuses on nanofiber fabrication by electrospinning techniques for the effective immobilization of biomolecules (such as enzymes or active pharmaceutical ingredients -APIs). In this chapter, the development of precursor materials (from commercial polymer systems to systematically designed biopolymers), entrapment protocols, and precursor-nanofiber characterization methods are represented. The entrapment ability of poly(vinyl alcohol) and systematically modified polyaspartamide nanofibers was investigated for immobilization of two different lipases (from Candida antarctica and Pseudomonas fluorescens) and for formulation of the antibacterial and antiviral agent, rifampicin. The encapsulated biomolecules in electrospun polymer fibers could be promising nanoma-terials for industrial biocatalysis to produce chiral compound or in the development of smart drug delivery systems.