Pore architecture influences the enzyme immobilization performance of mesoporous silica nanospheres

Immobilized enzymes on silica nano-carriers are stable biocatalysts with the potential for use in a plethora of applications. Studying how the structural characteristics of silica nano-carriers influence the performance of immobilized enzymes allows for the optimization of performance. This work investigates the influence of the pore architecture of silica nanospheres on enzyme loading, release, and reusability. Compared to dendritic mesoporous silica nanospheres (DMSN) with funnel-shaped wide-open pores, fractal silica nanoparticles (FSN) have a far more complex pore structure. FSN showed significantly higher immobilization capacity, sustained release, and enhanced reusability towards two model enzymes. The knowledge gained from this work paves the way for the rational design of enzyme nano-carriers for various applications.