Chemoenzymatic synthesis of the pH responsive surfactant octyl β-D-glucopyranoside uronic acid

Methodology was developed to expand the range of benign alkyl glycoside surfactants to include also anionic types. This was demonstrated possible through conversion of the glycoside to its carboxyl derivative. Specifically, octyl β-D-glucopyranoside (OG) was oxidised to the corresponding uronic acid (octyl β-D-glucopyranoside uronic acid, OG-COOH) using the catalyst system T. versicolor laccase/2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyloxy (TEMPO) and oxygen from air as oxidant. The effects of oxygen supply methodology, concentrations of laccase, TEMPO and OG as well as reaction temperature were evaluated. At 10 mM substrate concentration, the substrate was almost quantitatively converted into product, and even at a substrate concentration of 60 mM, 85% conversion was reached within 24 h. The surfactant properties of OG-COOH were markedly dependent on pH. Foaming was only observed at low pH, while no foam was formed at pH values above 5.0. Thus, OG-COOH can be an attractive low-foaming surfactant, for example for cleaning applications and emulsification, in a wide pH range (pH 1.5–10.0).

Removal of Disperse Red 60 dye from aqueous solution using free and composite fungal biomass of Lentinus concinnus

Lentinus concinnus biomass was immobilized to carboxyl derivative of cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), in the presence of FeCl3 (0.1 mol L−1) via ionic cross-linking. The beads containing immobilized fungal biomass were incubated at 30 °C for three days to permit growth of the fungus. The free and immobilized fungal biomass were tested for adsorption of Disperse Red 60 (DR-60) from aqueous solution using bare CMC beads as a control system. The maximum adsorption of DR-60 on the free and immobilized fungal biomass was observed at pH 6.0. The adsorption of DR-60 by the free, and immobilized fungal biomass increased as the initial concentration of DR-60 in the medium increased up to 100 mg/L. The maximum adsorption capacity of the CMC beads, the free and immobilized fungal biomass (i.e. composite beads) were found to be 43.4, 65.7, and 92.6 mg g−1 dry sorbents, respectively. The equilibrium of the adsorption system was well described by Langmuir and Temkin isotherm models. Adsorption equilibrium was established in about 1.0 h. The adsorption of DR-60 on the fungal preparations followed pseudo-second-order kinetic model. It was observed that the immobilized fungal biomass has a high potential for the removal of DR-60 as a model dye from aqueous solution.