Bioartificial polymeric materials: <TOGGLE></TOGGLE>-amylase, poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), poly(<TOGGLE>N</TOGGLE>-vinylpyrrolidone) system<FNR HREF="fn1"></FNR><FN ID="fn1">Dedicated to Emo Chiellini and Francesco Ciardelli on the occasion of their 65<SUP>th</SUP> birthdays</FN>

The preparation of a new bioartificial material based on poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and the enzyme α-amylase by means of template polymerisation is described. The kinetics of the polymerisation reaction was monitored by dilatometry and a template influence on the initial rate evidenced. The morphological analysis indicated that the presence of the enzyme induced a porous structure of the obtained material, in which improved interactions between the two components could be detected with respect to its analogous prepared by simple blending of the preformed polymers. The negligible release of the active component (α-amylase) from the polycomplex suggested its possible application as an enzyme immobilisation system, since the enzyme showed to remain active in the polycomplex as well. In order to improve the properties of the system poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) was added as an additional component in the polymerisation of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate in the presence of α-amylase. Higher biological activity of the immobilised enzyme was obtained for polycomplexes containing PVP, confirming the expected stabilising effect. <GRAPHIC NAME="gra001" COPYRIGHT="WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH" ERIGHTS="1" LOC="FIXED"> <CAPTION> Scanning electron micrographs of an α-amylase / PHEMA complex 0.250 (weight ratio). The sample was dried and sputtered with gold; bar = 50 μm. </CAPTION> </GRAPHIC>