Enhanced Laccase Activity and Stability as Crosslinked Enzyme Aggregates on Magnetic Copper Ferrite Nanoparticles for Biotechnological Processes

Highly stable and reusable magnetic crosslinked enzyme aggregates (m‐CLEAS) of laccase are synthesized with simultaneous improved enzymatic activity. Magnetic copper ferrite nanoparticles (CFNPs) were synthesized by solvothermal procedure with an average size of ~8 nm. The nanometric m‐CLEAS were formed by co‐aggregation of enzyme with CFNPs and crosslinked using glutaraldehyde. Different mass ratios of CFNPs:Laccase were assayed (1 : 2, 1 : 3, and 1 : 6), where 1 : 6 resulted in the highest activity recovery (97 %). The m‐CLEAS showed an average size of ~239 nm, ~24 % enzyme immobilization efficiency, and loading as high as 1.75 g of protein per g of support. As expected, m‐CLEAS oxidized the substrate with a higher transformation rate (kcat) and catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) than the free enzyme. m‐CLEAS showed superior storage and thermostability compared to free enzyme and non‐magnetic CLEAS. In particular, the m‐CLEAS showed ~150 % and ~100 % residual activity after 30 days of storage at 4 °C and room temperature, respectively. Furthermore, m‐CLEAS showed good recyclability, retaining ~78 % and ~54 % laccase activity after 5 and 10 cycles of reuse, respectively. This work highlights the facile and cost‐effective synthesis of nanometric m‐CLEAS with exceptional storage stability and simultaneously improved laccase activity, making them suitable for a range of green industrial processes. This work demonstrates the facile and cost‐effective synthesis of magnetic crosslinked laccase aggregates (m‐CLEAS) on CuFe2O4. m‐CLEAS showed high enzyme loading, improved catalytic performance and thermal stability with exceptional storage stability than free enzyme and CLEAS. The results highlight the promise of m‐CLEAS for green industrial processes.