Immobilization of proteins with polyurethane polymers

Claim 2

In a process for preparing an immobilized protein comprising admixing an isocyanate-capped liquid polyurethane prepolymer, the protein, and water to produce a polyurethane foam with the protein integrally bound to the polyurethane foam, the improvement comprising: (a) admixing the liquid polyurethane prepolymer and the protein in the absence of water to form a resulting solution; and (b) foaming the resulting solution by admixing it with an amount of water effective for producing foaming.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 in which the immobilized protein is washed to remove unbound protein and to hydrolyze any unreacted isocyanate groups.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1 in which the isocyanate-capped liquid polyurethane prepolymer is prepared by reacting toluene diisocyanate and a polyethlene glycol.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1 in which the isocyanate-capped liquid polyurethane prepolymer is prepared by reacting toluene diisocyanate and a polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight of about 800-1,200.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1 in which the isocyanate-capped liquid polyurethane prepolymer is prepared by reacting toluene diisocyanate and a member selected from the group consisting of a polyoxybutylene polyol polymer, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, a polyoxyethylene polyol polymer, pentaerythritol, glycerol, trimethylolpropane, and a polyoxypropylene polyol polymer.

Claim 7

The process of claim 1 in which the protein is an enzyme, an antibody, or an antigen.

Claim 8

The process of claim 1 in which the protein is human immunoglobulin G.

Claim 9

The process of claim 1 in which the isocyanate-capped liquid polyurethane prepolymer is prepared by reacting toluene diisocyanate with an admixture of polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight of about 800-1,200 and trimethylolpropane, the trimethylolpropane and the polyethylene glycol being provided in a mole ratio of about 1:1-4 and the toluene diisocyanate being provided at a rate of about 0.85-1.25 mole per equivalent of --OH provided by the polyethylene glycol plus the trimethylolpropane.

Claim 10

The process of claim 1 in which the protein is an enzyme and the enzyme is urease, trypsin, lactase, glucose oxidase, chymotrypsin, ribonuclease, peroxidase, pepsin, rennin, invertase, papain, asparaginase, pectinase, pectin esterase, penicillin amidase, glucose isomerase, lysozyme, amino acid acylase, pronase, alcohol dehydrogenase, α-amylase, β-amylase, subtilisin, amino acid oxidase, catalase, tannase, phenol oxidase, glucoamylase, pullulanase, cellulase, ficin, bromelain, pancreatin, isoamylase, lipase, malic dehydrogenase, hexokinase, lactate dehydrogenase, adenosine deaminase, uricase, galactose oxidase, diaphorase, cholinesterase, aldolase, pyruvate carboxylase, phospharylase, cephalosporin amidase, isocitric dehydrogenase, α-glycerolphosphate dehydrogenase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, malic enzyme, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 5-dehydroshikimic reductase, glutathione reductase, glycolic acid oxidase, yeast cytochrome c reductase, luciferase, nitrite reductase, glutamyl transferase, glutathione synthetase, glycocyamine phosphokinase, hippuric acid synthetase, aldehyde oxidase, succinic dehydrogenase, nitrate reductase, xanthine oxidase, lipoyl dehydrogenase, flavin peroxidase, glycine oxidase, carboxylase, α-keto acid dehydrogenase, or transketolase.

Claim 11

The process of claim 1 in which the isocyanate-capped liquid polyurethane prepolymer is made by reacting toluene diisocyanate with a polyhydroxy compound selected from the group consisting of polyoxybutylene polyol polymer, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, polyoxyethylene polyol polymer, pentaerythritol, glycerol, trimethylol propane and polyoxypropylene polyol polymer.

Claim 12

A process for preparing an immobilized protein comprising: (a) forming a first product by admixing, in the absence of water, the protein and a liquid polyisocyanate; (b) forming a second product comprising an isocyanate-capped liquid polyurethane prepolymer with the protein dissolved therein by admixing and reacting, in the absence of water, the first product and an amount of a polyol effective for forming the second product; and (c) forming the immobilized protein by admixing the second product and an amount of water effective for producing foaming.

Claim 13

A process for preparing an immobilized protein comprising: (a) forming a first product by admixing, in the absence of water, the protein and a liquid polyisocyanate; (b) forming a second product comprising an isocyanate-capped liquid polyurethane prepolymer with the protein dissolved therein by admixing and reacting, in the absence of water, the first product and an amount of a polyol effective for forming the second product; and (c) forming the immobilized protein by admixing the second product and an amount of water effective for producing foaming.

Claim 14

The process of claim 11 in which the protein is an enzyme, an antibody, or an antigen.

Claim 15

A process for preparing an immobilized protein comprising: (a) forming a first product by admixing, in the absence of water, the protein and a liquid polyol; (b) forming a second product comprising an isocyanate-capped liquid polyurethane prepolymer with the protein dissolved therein by reacting, in the absence of water, the first product and an amount of a polyisocyanate effective for forming the second product; and (c) forming the immobilized protein by admixing the second product and an amount of water effective for producing foaming.

Claim 16

A process for preparing an immobilized protein comprising: (a) forming a first product by admixing, in the absence of water, the protein and a liquid polyol; (b) forming a second product comprising an isocyanate-capped liquid polyurethane prepolymer with the protein dissolved therein by reacting, in the absence of water, the first product and an amount of a polyisocyanate effective for forming the second product; and (c) forming the immobilized protein by admixing the second product and an amount of water effective for producing foaming.

Claim 17

The process of claim 13 in which the protein is an enzyme, an antibody, or an antigen.

Claim 18

In a process for preparing an immobilized enzyme comprising admixing an isocyanate-capped liquid polyurethane prepolymer, the enzyme, and water to produce a polyurethane foam with the enzyme integrally bound to the polyurethane foam, the improvement comprising: (a) admixing, in the absence of water, the liquid polyurethane prepolymer and a substrate reactable with the enzyme to form a first composition; (b) admixing, in the absence of water, the first composition and the enzyme to form a second composition; and (c) foaming the second composition by admixing it with an amount of water effective for producing foam to form a poly(urea-urethane) foam comprising the immobilized enzyme.

Claim 19

In a process for preparing an immobilized enzyme comprising admixing an isocyanate-capped liquid polyurethane prepolymer, the enzyme, and water to produce a polyurethane foam with the enzyme integrally bound to the polyurethane foam, the improvement comprising: (a) admixing, in the absence of water, the liquid polyurethane prepolymer and a substrate reactable with the enzyme to form a first composition; (b) admixing, in the absence of water, the first composition and the enzyme to form a second composition; and (c) foaming the second composition by admixing it with an amount of water effective for producing foam to form a poly(urea-urethane) foam comprising the immobilized enzyme.

Claim 20

The process of claim 15 in which the enzyme is penicillin amidase and the substrate is benzylpenicillin.

Claim 21

The process of claim 15 in which the enzyme is glucoamylase and the substrate is starch.

Claim 22

The process of claim 15 in which the enzyme is glucoseisomerase and the substrate is starch.

Claim 23

The process of claim 15 in which the enzyme is amino acid acylase and the substrate is an acylated amino acid.

Claim 26

A method as in claim 20 wherein the protein is penicillin amidase.

Claim 27

A method as in claim 20 wherein the isocyanate-capped liquid polyurethane prepolymer is prepared by reacting toluene diisocyanate and a polyethylene glycol.

Claim 28

A method as in claim 20 wherein the isocyanate-capped liquid polyurethane prepolymer is prepared by reacting toluene diisocyanate and a member selected from the group consisting of a polyoxybutylene polyol polymer, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, a polyoxyethylene polyol polymer, pentaerythritol, glycerol, trimethylolpropane, and a polyoxypropylene polyol polymer.

Claim 29

A method as in claim 20 wherein the isocyanate-capped liquid polyurethane prepolymer is prepared by reacting toluene diisocyanate with an admixture of polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight of about 800-1,200 and trimethylolpropane, the trimethylolpropane and the polyethylene glycol being provided in a mole ratio of about 1:1-4 and the toluene diisocyanate being provided at a rate of about 0.85-1.25 mole per equivalent of --OH provided by the polyethylene glycol plus the trimethylolpropane.