These unique features of electrospun nanofibers ensure their potential applications in biocatalysis. Electrospun nanofibers
show distinct and superior characteristics. Briefly, nanofibers
are excellent supports, because (i) a variety of polymers can be
electrospun andmeet different requirements as supports, (ii) the
high porosity and the interconnectivity of electrospun fiber supports
endows them with a low hindrance for mass transfer, and
(iii) the nanofiber surfaces can be modified to benefit enzyme
activity [51]. Although each nanofiber provides high surface
area for hosting enzymes, the collection of randomly arrayed
nanofibers usually forms a nonwoven mesh (ormembrane) that
can be reused [52, 53]. Electrospun nanofiber mats are durable
and easily separable, and can also be processed in a highly porous
form to relieve mass-transfer of the substrate through the mats.
Therefore, these nanofibers as hosts for enzyme immobilization
on the surface show highly stable and enhanced activity. For
example, the nanofiber-enzyme composites improved activity
by more than three orders of magnitude than that of native
enzyme suspended in organic solvents [54].