Microencapsulation of Bioactive Nanoparticles

Abstract

Supported or modified enzymes in the form of mobile nanoparticles are designed for enhanced activities and stabilities; however, their practical operations are dwarfed due to their tiny size which always makes recycling an arduous task and a potential risk to the environment. To overcome such drawbacks, this chapter describes a method for the preparation of a new form of microcapsules, possessing single-cavity compartments and nano-pores in the shell, to encage nanoparticle-based biocatalysts and form cell-like microreactors (CLMRs). The encaged nanoscale catalysts are maintained their high activities as in a bulk-phase solution, while they could be handled as materials of sizes hundreds-fold larger.