Autonomous motion of immobilized enzyme on Janus particles significantly facilitates enzymatic reactions

Autonomous motion propelled by the reactions of enzymes asymmetrically immobilized on Janus particles have attracted great attention due to its possible auspicious application as active biocompatible platforms. However, no research has focused on the effect of the autonomous motion on enzyme reactions. Hence, this work was designed to fabricate different enzyme-immobilized particles with asymmetrical (Janus) and symmetrical enzyme distributions and to investigate the interplay between enzymatic reactions and their motion behavior with lipase and urease as model enzymes. It was found that all the EIPs displayed substrate-concentration-dependent enhanced diffusions, but Janus enzyme-immobilized particles exhibited maximum enhancement (60%) of autonomous motion represented by diffusion coefficient as well as superior specific activity increments (>2 times). Namely, the enzymatic reactions were more significantly facilitated by the autonomous motions of the Janus enzyme-immobilized particles. The results indicated that the asymmetrical enzyme distribution on Janus particles enhanced the favorable mutual promotion between the self-propelled movement and enzymatic reactions, leading to improved diffusional and enzymatic performance. The results have thus provided insights into the design of new materials for enzyme immobilization and novel immobilized enzyme systems for various applications.