Photoinitiated graft copolymerization of glycidyl methacrylate and 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate onto polyacrylonitrile and application of the synthesized graft copolymers in penicillin–amidase immobilization

Abstract

The photoinitiated graft copolymerization of hydroxyethyl methacrylate and/or glycidyl methacrylate onto polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and the applicability of the matrices synthesized in this way for penicillin–amidase immobilization are discussed. The copolymers are prepared by putting irradiated PAN fibers with preliminary adsorbed benzophenone on them into the polymerization feed that includes hydroxyethyl methacrylate and/or glycidyl methacrylate dissolved in a water–methyl ethyl ketone mixture. The degree of grafting varies between 11.7 and 46.0%, and its efficiency, between 27.8 and 78.9%. The concentration of epoxy groups in the synthesized copolymers is in the range between 210 and 2220 μmol/g. The reactivity ratios of the two comonomers are determined to be r_GM = 0.70 ± 0.15 and r_HEMA = 2.73 ± 0.14. The grafted copolymers containing HEMA units provide milder conditions for penicillin–amidase covalent binding. The optimum pH and temperature values of penicillin–amidase immobilized on these matrices are 7.5 and 45°C, respectively. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.