Poly(vinyl methyl ether) gel for the construction of a thermosensitive immobilised enzyme system exhibiting controllable reaction initiation and termination

In an aqueous solution with a poly(vinyl methyl ether) gel containing immobilised exo-1,4-α-D-glucosidase, the hydrolysis of maltose proceeds at temperatures below 37 °C and stops above this temperature; the initiation and termination of this enzymatic process can be repeated by a rapid temperature-switching, e.g., from 32 to 42 °C and back to 32 °C, because of a thermally induced reversible swelling–collapsing change of the gel support.