Facile Fabrication of a Novel and Reusable 3D Laccase Reactor for Efficient Removal of Pollutants from Wastewater

Abstract An ultra simple 3D bioreactor was prepared via Fe3+ linking to primary amines of melamine sponge (MeS) for cooperative complex formation with enzyme. Laccase worked as a model of enzyme and no chemical modification was employed during the material preparation. The 3D structure of MeS can enhance the enzyme loading amount up to 180 µg/mg, albeit MeS as monolithic material for enzyme immobilization is rather unexplored. The 3D bioreactor (MeS@Fe3+@laccase) also improved the catalytic efficiency and showed excellent reusability, stability, and reproducibility. In this study, the as-prepared bioreactor (10 mg) was successfully applied to the degradation of dyes and micropollutants, which has shown higher efficiency than free laccase in the large-scale decolorization of dyes and showed up to almost 100% removal of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) and sulfisoxazole. Therefore, the MeS@Fe3+ with low cost, good stability and easy separation can be employed as a new enzyme carrier such as trypsin and lipase in biotechnological applications.