Zeolite Membranes to immobilize Catalase

Processes based on immobilized enzymes have been studied extensively in the last few decades and today are also applied to the safeguard of environmental parameters. In this work, zeolite composite flat membranes with different chemical composition, transition metal, and microporous structures were prepared using in situ and secondary growth crystallization synthesis methods in/on stainless steel porous disks. All zeolite materials were been used in catalase adsorption to analyze the zeolite behavior andthe effect of chemical composition and structure on interaction with the enzyme. This study shows that the electrostatic type of interaction seems to be of the utmost importance in influencing immobilization, while the zeolite Brönsted acidity of the support is the subordinate parameter, which differentiates the adsorption performances of different zeolite structures (that distinct for chemical composition of the framework). Moreover, it permits to conclude that transition metal-containing membranes adsorb a higher percentage of the enzyme with respect to no-exchanged membranes and that, for all materials synthesized, the amount of catalase adsorbed onto the zeolite crystals and membranes increases with the temperature.