Novel Hybrid Gel–Fiber Membranes as Carriers for Lipase Catalysis Based on Electrospinning and Gelation Technology

Abstract

An excellent oil–water interface is one of the prerequisites for effective lipase catalysis. Therefore, this study aimed to improve lipase activity in terms of catalytic interface optimization. A novel approach for constructing oil–water interfaces was proposed. The structural similarity and the hydrophilic differences between polyvinyl pyrrolidone gel–fiber membranes (GFMs) and poly(lauryl methacrylate) (PLMA) organogel inspired us to hybridize the two to form PVP/PLMA hybrid gel–fiber membranes (HGFMs) based on electrospinning and gelation. The prepared PVP/PLMA-HGFMs were capable of being adopted as novel carriers for lipase catalysis due to their ability to swell both in the aqueous phase (swelling ratio = 187.5%) and the organic phase (swelling ratio = 40.5%). Additionally, Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) results showed that abundant network pores inside the carriers enabled numerous effective microscopic oil–water interfaces. The catalytic activity of Burkholderia cepacia lipase (BCL) in PVP/PLMA-HGFMs ranged between 1.21 and 8.70 times that of the control (“oil-up/water-down” system) under different experimental conditions. Meanwhile, PVP/PLMA-HGFMs increased lipase activity by about eight times at −20 °C and had good application characteristics at extreme pH conditions.