Oxygen cathode based on a layer-by-layer self-assembled laccase and osmium redox mediator

Applications and immobilization strategies of the copper-centred laccase enzyme; a review

Laccase is a multi-copper enzyme widely expressed in fungi, higher plants, and bacteria which facilitates the direct reduction of molecular oxygen to water (without hydrogen peroxide production) accompanied by the oxidation of an electron donor. Laccase has attracted attention in biotechnological applications due to its non-specificity and use of molecular oxygen as secondary substrate. This review discusses different applications of laccase in various sectors of food, paper and pulp, waste water treatment, pharmaceuticals, sensors, and fuel cells. Despite the many advantages of laccase, challenges such as high cost due to its non-reusability, instability in harsh environmental conditions, and proteolysis are often encountered in its application. One of the approaches used to minimize these challenges is immobilization. The various methods used to immobilize laccase and the different supports used are further extensively discussed in this review.

Protein-based polyelectrolyte multilayers

The immobilization of proteins to impart specific functions to surfaces is topical for chemical engineering, healthcare and diagnosis. Layer-by-Layer (LbL) self-assembly is one of the most used method to immobilize macromolecules on surfaces. It consists in the alternate adsorption of oppositely charged species, resulting in the formation of a multilayer. This method in principle allows any charged object to be immobilized on any surface, from aqueous solutions. However, when it comes to proteins, the promises of versatility, simplicity and universality that the LbL approach holds are unmet due to the heterogeneity of protein properties. In this review, the literature is analyzed to make a generic approach emerge, with a view to facilitate the LbL assembly of proteins with polyelectrolytes (PEs). In particular, this review aims at guiding the choice of the PE and the building conditions that lead to the successful growth of protein-based multilayered self-assemblies.

Inhibition in multicopper oxidases: a critical review

This review critiques the literature on inhibition of O₂-reduction catalysis in multicopper oxidases like laccase and bilirubin oxidase and provide recommendations for best practice when carrying out experiments and interpreting published data.

Comparison of Direct and Mediated Electron Transfer for Bilirubin Oxidase from Myrothecium Verrucaria. Effects of Inhibitors and Temperature on the Oxygen Reduction Reaction

One of the processes most studied in bioenergetic systems in recent years is the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). An important challenge in bioelectrochemistry is to achieve this reaction under physiological conditions. In this study, we used bilirubin oxidase (BOD) from Myrothecium verrucaria, a subclass of multicopper oxidases (MCOs), to catalyse the ORR to water via four electrons in physiological conditions. The active site of BOD, the T2/T3 cluster, contains three Cu atoms classified as T2, T3α, and T3β depending on their spectroscopic characteristics. A fourth Cu atom; the T1 cluster acts as a relay of electrons to the T2/T3 cluster. Graphite electrodes were modified with BOD and the direct electron transfer (DET) to the enzyme, and the mediated electron transfer (MET) using an osmium polymer (OsP) as a redox mediator, were compared. As a result, an alternative resting (AR) form was observed in the catalytic cycle of BOD. In the absence and presence of the redox mediator, the AR direct reduction occurs through the trinuclear site (TNC) via T1, specifically activated at low potentials in which T2 and T3α of the TNC are reduced and T3β is oxidized. A comparative study between the DET and MET was conducted at various pH and temperatures, considering the influence of inhibitors like H2O2, F−, and Cl−. In the presence of H2O2 and F−, these bind to the TNC in a non-competitive reversible inhibition of O2. Instead; Cl− acts as a competitive inhibitor for the electron donor substrate and binds to the T1 site.

Biomimetic Extracellular Environment Based on Natural Origin Polyelectrolyte Multilayers

Surface modification of biomaterials is a well-known approach to enable an adequate biointerface between the implant and the surrounding tissue, dictating the initial acceptance or rejection of the implantable device. Since its discovery in early 1990s layer-by-layer (LbL) approaches have become a popular and attractive technique to functionalize the biomaterials surface and also engineering various types of objects such as capsules, hollow tubes, and freestanding membranes in a controllable and versatile manner. Such versatility enables the incorporation of different nanostructured building blocks, including natural biopolymers, which appear as promising biomimetic multilayered systems due to their similarity to human tissues. In this review, the potential of natural origin polymer-based multilayers is highlighted in hopes of a better understanding of the mechanisms behind its use as building blocks of LbL assembly. A deep overview on the recent progresses achieved in the design, fabrication, and applications of natural origin multilayered films is provided. Such films may lead to novel biomimetic approaches for various biomedical applications, such as tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, implantable devices, cell-based biosensors, diagnostic systems, and basic cell biology.

XPS analysis of enzyme and mediator at the surface of a layer-by-layer self-assembled wired enzyme electrode

High potential purified Trametes trogii laccase has been deposited in mono- and multilayer thin films on gold surfaces by layer-by-layer electrostatic adsorption self-assembly. The osmium bipyridil redox relay sites on polycation poly(allylamine) backbone efficiently work as a molecular "wire" in oxygen cathodes for biofuel cells. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of Cu 2p3/2 and Os 4f signals provided chemical information on the enzyme and redox mediator surface concentrations after different adsorption steps. The electrical charge involved in oxidation-reduction cycles of the osmium sites, the ellipsometric enzyme film thickness, and the mass uptake from quartz crystal microbalance experiments, correlate with the XPS surface concentration, which provides unique evidence on the chemical identity of the composition in the topmost layers. XPS is shown to be an important analytical tool to investigate stratified copper and osmium distribution in LbL thin films relevant to biosensors and biofuel cells.

Three-dimensional graphene-carbon nanotube hybrid for high-performance enzymatic biofuel cells

Enzymatic biofuel cells (EBFCs) are promising renewable and implantable power sources. However, their power output is often limited by inefficient electron transfer between the enzyme molecules and the electrodes, hindered mass transport, low conductivity, and small active surface area of the electrodes. To tackle these issues, we herein demonstrated a novel EBFC equipped with enzyme-functionalized 3D graphene-single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) hybrid electrodes using the naturally abundant glucose as the fuel and oxygen as the oxidizer. Such EBFCs, with high stability, can nearly attain the theoretical limit of open circuit voltage (∼1.2 V) and a high power density ever reported (2.27 ± 0.11 mW cm(-2)).