Immobilization and stabilization of enzymes using biomimetic silicification reactions

The immobilization of enzymes using sol-gel strategies has long been used to provide stability to biocatalysts for a wide range of applications. The biomimetic formation of silica nanoparticles outperforms other sol-gel approaches for enzyme integration due to its biocompatibility related to mild synthetic conditions and rapid polymerization reaction that avoids curing incubations. Biomimetic silica based micro and nano particles have been reported as a very efficient method for enzyme immobilization resulting in high thermal, mechanical and operational stability. As the main incentive for immobilizing enzymes is overcoming their labile nature for in vitro applications, the strategy has been intensively used in the last decade. Reports on modifications of the synthetic approaches, use of combined materials or additives during enzyme immobilization using biomimetic silica have been building. In this work, we review the literature of the last five years on biomimetic silica immobilized enzymes with a special focus on the stabilization gained by the biocatalysts and the rationale behind it. Studies on the benefits of combined materials on improving the properties of the biocatalysts and applications of the stabilized enzymes are also included to highlight the significance of this immobilization strategy for biotechnological applications. Enzyme immobilization in biomimetic silica based micro and nano particles has proven to be an efficient method to provide high thermal, mechanical and operational stability to a range of enzymes.