Importance of the ionic nature of ionic liquids in affecting enzyme performance.

The activity and stability of mushroom tyrosinase were studied in ionic liquid (IL)-containing aqueous systems. The effect of three ILs ([BMIm][PF(6)], [BMIm][BF(4)]), and [BMIm][MeSO(4)], where [BMIm] = 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium) and their inorganic salts (KMeSO(4), KPF(6), and NaBF(4)) on the enzyme performance was investigated by comparing the kinetic (such as K(m), V(max), optimal pH and temperature, and activation energy) and thermostability parameters (including half-lives, deactivation constants, activation energies for enzyme deactivation, DeltaG*, DeltaH*, and DeltaS*) of the enzyme in the absence and presence of the ILs and their anions. Both the three ILs and their inorganic salts were able to trigger enzyme activation.