Modified PMMA monosize microbeads for glucose oxidase immobilization

Glucose oxidase (GOD) was immobilized onto modified polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) microspheres by covalent bonding. Monosize PMMA microbeads with 1.5 μm diameter were produced by dispersion polymerization of methylmethacrylate by using polyvinyl alcohol as a stabilizer. Hydroxyl groups on the microbeads were first converted to aldehyde groups by periodate oxidation. Three amino compounds, namely ammonium hydroxide, ethylene diamine and hexamethylene diamine were incorporated through the aldehyde groups. Then, GOD molecules were immobilized through the spacer-arms by using glutaraldehyde. The highest amount of immobilization and activity were obtained in which hexamethylene diamine was used as the spacer-arm with 14 atom length, and were 2.1 mg g⁻¹ polymer and 129 IU g⁻¹ polymer, respectively. The optimal conditions for GOD immobilization were obtained as follows: pH, 6.0; temperature, 30 °C; immobilization time, 60 min; and GOD initial concentration, 0.10 mg ml⁻¹. The optimal conditions for the GOD-immobilized PMMA microbeads were at pH 6.0 and at a temperature of 30 °C. The K_m and V_max values of the GOD-immobilized PMMA microbeads were, 13.79 mM and 26.31 mM min⁻¹ calculated by non-linear regression, respectively.