Kinetic Investigation of Enzymatic Initiation of Biocompatible Polymer Thin Films

Here, we describe the development of glucose oxidase initiated polymeric hydrogel films. An enzymatic polymerization initiator is a facile, noncytotoxic, room temperature approach for biomaterial generation. Glucose oxidase has been shown to possess exceptional stability and activity, making it particularly attractive as a potential polymerization initiator. Biologically, glucose oxidase is used to convert beta-D-glucose into D-glucono-1,5-lactone, and then regenerates FADH2 by the oxidation of molecular oxygen to hydrogen peroxide. We utilize the enzymatic generation of hydrogen peroxide to react with Fe2SO4 (as in Fenton's Reagent) to form hydroxy radicals, which initiate polymerization. We report our investigation into the both the bulk and thin film polymerization kinetics of hydrogel systems including polyethylene glycol diacrylate and hydroxyethylacrylate. We will discuss the concentration dependence of coinitiation and inhibition by the iron species. We will also highlight potential applications including biodetection and cell encapsulation for culture and immunoisolation applications.