alpha-Amylase from Aspergillus oryzae was covalently immobilized onto polystyrene pellets with pentaethylenehexamine (PS-PEHA-Ald) and pentaethylene glycol (PS-PG-Aid) carrying a terminal aldehyde group. Optimum immobilization occured at pH 8.0 and 25 degrees C, and at pH 7.0 and 35 degrees C for PS-PEHA-Ald and PS-PG-Ald, respectively. PS-PEHA-Ald immobilized enzyme retained approximately 75% of the initial activity over 45 days of storage, 70% of the initial activity after nine runs of recycling and displayed the better resistance to detrimental metal ions. PS-PG-Aid immobilized enzyme retained approximately 50% of the initial activity in 8 h at 70 degrees C. The catalytic efficiencies of PS-PEHA-Ald immobilized and PS-PG-Ald immobilized amylase were 1.42 and 1.29 times higher than that of native enzyme. The activation energy of the reaction mediated by the amylase was reduced by 58.1% and 57.3% when PS-PEHA-Ald and PS-PG-Ald used as support respectively. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.