Polydopamine-coated chitosan hydrogels for enzyme immobilization

To address inherent weaknesses such as low mechanical strength and limited enzyme loading capacity in conventional chitosan or alginate beads, an additional step involving the exchange of anionic surfactants with hydroxide ions was employed to prepare porous chitosan hydrogel capsules for enzyme immobilization. Consequently, excellent thermal stability and long-term storage stability were confirmed. Furthermore, coating the porous chitosan hydrogel capsules with polydopamine not only improved mechanical stability but also exhibited remarkable enzyme immobilization efficiency (97.6% for M1-D0.5). Additionally, it was demonstrated that the scope of application for chitosan hydrogel beads, prepared using conventional methods, could be further expanded by introducing an additional step of polydopamine coating. The enzyme immobilization matrix developed in this study can be selectively applied to suit specific purposes and is expected to be utilized as a support for the adsorption or covalent binding of various substances.