Synthesis and characterization of binary copolymers of methyl methacrylate with glycidyl methacrylate and 2‐hydroxy ethyl methacrylate as carriers for cellulase

Cellulase was immobilized directly on methyl methacrylate‐glycidyl methacrylate copolymer (MMA‐co‐GMA) and methyl methacrylate‐2‐hydroxy ethyl methacrylate copolymer (MMA‐co‐HEMA) by covalent attachment and crosslinking methods. The properties of the immobilized cellulase were investigated and compared with those of the free one. For the assays carried out through crosslinking method at 25°C and pH 7, the retained activities were found to be 91.92% and 74.63%, respectively, for MMA‐co‐GMA and MMA‐co‐HEMA crosslinked with 0.1% of 1‐cyclohexyl‐3‐(2‐morpholino‐ethyl) carbodiimide metho‐p‐toluenesulfonate (CMCT), respectively. The immobilized cellulase had better stability and higher retained activities with respect to pH, temperature, and storage stability than the free one. In the repeated use experiments, the immobilized cellulase using (MMA‐co‐GMA)‐CMCT (0.1%) and (MMA‐co‐HEMA)‐CMCT (0.1%) did not change after 10 and eight times of repeated use and maintained 67% and 62% from their original activities after 25 times, respectively. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010