Strategies for encapsulating biomolecules in sol–gel matrices

The encapsulation of biological molecules in sol–gel matrices has received considerable attention because of the prospect of creating novel materials which exhibit the characteristic chemical and biochemical functionalities of enzymes and other proteins. This paper explores the nature of the interactions between a sol–gel derived silica matrix and the electron transfer protein, cytochrome c. These interactions were found to be of central importance in determining the synthesis conditions for these materials, in creating the pores which confine the protein and in stabilizing the protein so that it retains its structure and chemical function.