α‐Amylase Immobilization on Carbon Nanospheres: Influence of Size and Functionalization on Enzymatic Activity.

One of the main downsides of enzyme immobilization, aside from a noticeable reduction of enzyme activity, is the difficulty in detecting and tracking migration and biodistribution of the nanocarrier toward the target site. The intrinsic fluorescence property of carbon nanospheres (CNSs) makes them useful for tracking and localization. This research aims to prepare a set of nanosystems based on pristine CVD‐produced CNSs (CNS0%), functionalized CNSs (CNS3%), and size‐reduced CNSs (s‐CNS) subjected to a procedure for α‐amylase enzyme immobilization, to later evaluate their biological activity. These structures have been characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Results showed that surface functionalization and nanoplatform size play an important role in boosting enzymatic activity. Moreover, all the samples demonstrated high thermal stability and fluorescence even after attaching α‐amylase to their surface which can provide great functionality for a variety of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]