Protecting Enzymatic Activity via Zwitterionic Nanocapsulation for the Removal of Phenol Compound from Wastewater

Langmuir. 2019 Feb 5;35(5):1858-1863. doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b02001. Epub 2018 Aug 6.

Abstract

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) holds great potential in wastewater treatment. However, its instability in harsh environments remains a major issue. Various immobilization technologies were developed to retain enzyme stability at the cost of its effectiveness. We demonstrate that zwitterionic encapsulation of HRP retained both protein stability and activity to a large degree. In a water treatment study, encapsulating HRP into a zwitterionic nanogel resulted in a three-fold increase in the catalytic oxidation efficiency of phenol molecules. In addition, zwitterionic nanocapsules exhibited the best performance when compared with nanocapsules made from other hydrophilic polymers. These results indicated that zwitterionic HRP nanocapsules hold great potential in the decontamination of organic pollutants from wastewater.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Acrylamides / chemical synthesis
  • Acrylamides / chemistry
  • Armoracia / enzymology
  • Enzyme Stability
  • Horseradish Peroxidase / chemistry*
  • Hydrogen Peroxide / chemistry
  • Nanogels / chemistry*
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Phenol / chemistry*
  • Polymers / chemical synthesis
  • Polymers / chemistry
  • Wastewater / chemistry*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / chemistry*
  • Water Purification / methods

Substances

  • Acrylamides
  • Nanogels
  • Polymers
  • Waste Water
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • poly(carboxybetaine acrylamide)
  • Phenol
  • Hydrogen Peroxide
  • Horseradish Peroxidase