Mesoporous catalysts of magnetic nanoparticles and free-radical-producing enzymes, and methods of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10260061-B2
Application number	US-201715450660-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2017
Priority date	Mar 10, 2011
Publication date	Apr 16, 2019
Grant date	Apr 16, 2019

Abstract

A composition comprising mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles and free-radical producing enzyme (i.e., enzyme-bound mesoporous aggregates), wherein the mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles have mesopores in which the free-radical-producing enzyme is embedded. Methods for synthesizing the enzyme-bound mesoporous aggregates are also described. Processes that use said enzyme-bound mesoporous aggregates for depolymerizing lignin, removing aromatic contaminants from water, and polymerizing monomers polymerizable by a free-radical reaction are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for depolymerizing lignin, the method comprising exposing lignin-containing material with a composition comprising self-assembled mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles and a free-radical-producing enzyme wherein said free-radical producing enzyme is magnetically-entrapped without a bonding agent in mesopores of said mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles, wherein said free-radical-producing enzyme converts a diffusible substrate into a diffusible product that participates in depolymerizing said lignin.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein said diffusible product is selected from the group consisting of coniferyl, sinapyl, coumaryl alcohols, and derivatives thereof.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein said free-radical-producing enzyme comprises a peroxidase.

4. The process of claim 3 , wherein said peroxidase is a lignin-degrading peroxidase.

5. The process of claim 3 , wherein said peroxidase is selected from a lignin peroxidase, versatile peroxidase, manganese peroxidase, and a combination thereof.

6. The process of claim 1 , further comprising an oxidoreductase enzyme that participates in lignocellulosic degradation.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein said self-assembled mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles and free-radical-producing enzyme are surface-coated with gold.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein said self-assembled mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles and free-radical-producing enzyme reside on the surface of ferromagnetic submicrometric particles having a size of at least 20 nanometers.

9. The process of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of magnetically capturing and reusing said self-assembled mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles and free-radical-producing enzyme to depolymerize lignin, wherein said self-assembled mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles and free-radical-producing enzyme substantially retain their activity after being captured and re-used.

10. A process for removing aromatic contaminants from water, the method comprising contacting water contaminated with aromatic substances with a composition comprising self-assembled mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles and a free-radical-producing enzyme, wherein said free-radical producing enzyme is magnetically-entrapped without a bonding agent in mesopores of said mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles wherein said enzyme causes said aromatic substance to precipitate, and removing a precipitate of said aromatic contaminants from said water.

11. The process of claim 10 , wherein said aromatic contaminants comprise a phenolic substance.

12. The process of claim 10 , wherein said free-radical-producing enzyme comprises a peroxidase.

13. The process of claim 10 , wherein said self-assembled mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles and free-radical-producing enzyme are surface-coated with gold.

14. The process of claim 10 , wherein said self-assembled mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles and free-radical-producing enzyme reside on the surface of ferromagnetic submicrometric particles having a size of at least 20 nanometers.

15. The process of claim 10 , further comprising the steps of magnetically capturing and reusing said self-assembled mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles and free-radical-producing enzyme in a further aromatic precipitation reaction, wherein said self-assembled mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles and free-radical-producing enzyme substantially retain their activity after being magnetically captured.

16. A process for polymerizing monomers polymerizable by a free-radical reaction, the method comprising exposing said monomers to a composition comprising self-assembled mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles and a free-radical-producing enzyme, wherein said free-radical producing enzyme is magnetically-entrapped without a bonding agent in mesopores of said mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles, wherein said free-radical producing enzymes causes the polymerization of said monomers.

17. The process of claim 16 , wherein said monomers comprise vinyl-addition monomers.

18. The process of claim 16 , wherein said self-assembled mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles and free-radical-producing enzyme are surface-coated with gold.

19. The process of claim 16 , wherein said self-assembled mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles and free-radical-producing enzyme reside on the surface of ferromagnetic submicrometric particles having a size of at least 20 nanometers.

20. The process of claim 16 , further comprising the steps of magnetically capturing and reusing said self-assembled mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles and free-radical-producing enzyme to polymerize monomers, wherein said self-assembled mesoporous aggregates of magnetic nanoparticles and free-radical-producing enzyme substantially retain their activity after being magnetically captured.

Assignees

• Univ Cornell

Inventors

• Corgie Stephane C
• Kahawong Patarawan
• Giannelis Emmanuel P
• Walker Larry P

Classifications

• C12N9/0071

  acting on paired donors with incorporation of molecular oxygen (1.14) · CPC title

• B82Y5/00

  Nanobiotechnology or nanomedicine, e.g. protein engineering or drug delivery · CPC title

• C12Y111/01014

  Lignin peroxidase (1.11.1.14) · CPC title

• C12Y111/01016

  Versatile peroxidase (1.11.1.16) · CPC title

• B01J31/003

  containing enzymes · CPC title