Multifunctional biomagnetic capsules for easy removal of phenol and bisphenol A

This paper reports fabrication, optimization and characterization of multifunctional biocapsules with immobilized enzyme using a layer-by-layer configuration and their application for removal of phenol and bisphenol A (BPA). The method is based on the combined use of enzymatic oxidation of the BPA and subsequent binding of the reaction product onto a chitosan core biopolymer. This platform has multiple functions including: (1) enzymatic degradation of BPA, (2) adsorption of the degraded compound within the core material, (3) colorimetric quantification and (4) magnetic capabilities. We examined various configurations of core/shell structures of alginate and chitosan and determined the stability and the optimum conditions in which these structures provide the most effective removal capacity. The amount of BPA that can be removed per capsule is 5.6 ppm while phenol can be removed up to 10 ppm per capsule within 15 h. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.