Synthesis of alginate-coated magnetic nanocatalyst containing high-performance integrated enzyme for phenol removal

Effluent containing phenol is hazardous wastewater for the environment and human health. In the current work, synthesis and characterization of a new bi-enzymatic, magnetic-core nanocatalyst was investigated, and its performance as nanocatalyst for phenol removal from wastewater was examined. The obtained data suggested that the maximum combination of Peroxidases (POD) and Polyphenol Oxidase (PPO) enzymes (CPPE) stabilization can be achieved at T = 20 degrees C, pH value of 8, glutehydrie concentration of 1.6%, and enzyme to nano particles ratio of 1:200. Furthermore, it was found that the immobilized enzymes had higher stability than free enzyme against change in pH, temperature and even their durability. The Immobilized enzymes were used for phenol removal, and 98.1% separation was observed after 145 min when H2O2 to phenol ratio was 1.2, and in high concentrations of phenol (in the range of 2-10 mM) in the presence of CPPE. Finally, the stabilized enzymes were used 7 times in the phenol removal process, and the enzymes retained about 50% of their initial activity after 6 uses. It seems that the CPPE-alginate nanocatalyst could be used in hazardous wastewater treatment in particular for phenol removal.

Automated summary

The newly developed CPPE-alginate nanocatalyst shows high efficiency and stability in phenol removal from wastewater, making it a promising option for hazardous wastewater treatment.