Fabrication of a core-shell-shell magnetic polymeric microsphere with excellent performance for separation and purification of bromelain

Laccase immobilized on magnetic nanoparticles for the degradation of imidacloprid: Based on multi-spectroscopy and molecular docking

As a typical class of environmental endocrine disruptors, imidacloprid (IMI) poses a potential threat to the sustainable survival and reproduction of living beings and human beings. Consequently, it is crucial to establish an efficient degradation method to remove imidacloprid from the environment. The present study aimed to investigate the immobilized laccase for the detoxification of imidacloprid via multi-spectroscopy and molecular docking. Herein, laccase was immobilized on magnetic nanoparticles (NiFe2O4 NPs) using a novel immobilization technique based on glutaraldehyde cross-linking polymerization. A single factor experiment approach was used to optimize the immobilization conditions, which included temperature, pH, enzyme concentration, and reaction time. Notably, the optimal condition was determined as 50℃, pH 4, laccase concentration of 1.0 mg/mL and 1.5 h. Based on the immobilization conditions, the degradation efficiency of immobilized laccase was 41.92 % after 24 h. Following eight degradations, the immobilized laccase's relative activity stayed at 34.09 % of its initial activity, demonstrating exceptional operational stability and reusability. Moreover, the binding free energy between imidacloprid and laccase was calculated on the basis of molecular docking, as -7.2 kcal/mol. This study provides experimental techniques and theoretical references for the biological digestion of hazardous pesticide residues in the environment. In addition, this study improved the shortcomings of free laccase, provided an environmentally friendly and efficient method for the degradation of imidacloprid.

Smart Polymer Microspheres: Preparation, Microstructures, Stimuli-Responsive Properties, and Applications

Smart polymer microspheres (SPMs) are a class of stimulus-responsive materials that undergo physical, chemical, or property changes in response to external stimuli, such as temperature, pH, light, and magnetic fields. In recent years, their diverse responsiveness and tunable structures have enabled broad applications in biomedicine, environmental protection, information encryption, and other fields. This study provides a detailed review of recent preparation methods of SPMs, focusing on physical methods such as emulsification-solvent evaporation, microfluidics, and electrostatic spraying as well as chemical approaches such as emulsion and precipitation polymerization. Meanwhile, different types of stimulus-responsive behaviors, such as temperature-, pH-, light-, and magnetic-responsiveness, are thoroughly examined. This study also explores the applications of SPMs in drug delivery, tissue engineering, and environmental monitoring, while discussing future technological challenges and development directions in this field.

Real-Time Isolation and Versatile Detection for Extracellular Vesicles Based on Ordered Porous Layer Interferometry

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are progressively becoming novel instruments for clinical therapeutics and liquid biopsies. Due to the complexity of biofluids and the physicochemical properties of EVs, the biological activity, velocity, and efficiency of EV isolation are always unsatisfying. Here, we present a real-time isolation approach of EVs derived from cells and urine using ordered porous layer interferometry with a silica colloidal crystal film as the sensing substrate, achieving efficiency greater than 90%. The online concentration detection function is performed during the isolation process on the basis of its real-time monitoring characteristic. Using membrane protein markers of urine EVs as targets, this technique has a high diagnostic value for liquid biopsy of prostate cancer. Furthermore, we compared multiple EV membrane protein expression and binding dissociation kinetic data from cells and urine. In summary, this multifunctional approach provides a novel strategy for the rapid EVs isolation, concentration detection, drug target screening, and liquid biopsy of various body fluids.

Deep eutectic solvent and styrene copolymer-shelled magnetic microspheres for the capture of Ovomucoid in foods and their interactions

Fe3O4 is a cost-effective and strong magnetic core, meanwhile polymerizable deep eutectic solvents (PDESs) are considered to have excellent performance and biocompatibility in separation and material fields. Therefore, the aim was to prepare magnetic microspheres (P(DES-co-St)@Fe3O4) with Fe3O4 as the core and PDESs (choline chloride/acrylic acid, 1:2; choline chloride/itaconic acid, 1:1)-styrene (St) copolymer as the shell for binding of target protein. The resulting microspheres exhibited ideal magnetic responsiveness (14.14 emu·g-1), stability, dispersion and uniformity (average diameter of 1.04 μm). The acidic PDESs endowed the surface structure of magnetic microspheres with numerous carboxyl groups (3.71 mmol·g-1), providing multiple active sites to capture allergenic proteins (ovomucoid, ovotransferrin, ovalbumin) from foods. Under current conditions, the binding capacity of ovomucoid was determined to be 155.3 mg·mL-1. Kinetic and thermodynamic studies, along with fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular simulations, indicated that the magnetic microspheres bind with ovomucoid through a combination of monolayer multiple interactions with selectivity.

Research Progress on the Enhancement of Immobilized Enzyme Catalytic Performance and Its Application in the Synthesis of Vitamin E Succinate

Vitamin E succinate is a more mature vitamin E derivative, and its chemical stability and many effects have been improved compared with vitamin E, which can not only make up for the shortcomings of vitamin E application but also broaden the application field of vitamin E. At present, in developed countries such as Europe, America, and Japan, vitamin E succinate is widely used in health foods, and due to its good water solubility and stability, the vitamin E added to most nutritional supplements (tablets and hard capsules) is vitamin E succinate. At the same time, vitamin E succinate used in the food and pharmaceutical industries is mainly catalyzed by enzymatic catalysis. In this paper, Candida rugosa lipase (CRL) was studied. Chemical modification and immobilization were used to improve the enzymatic properties of CRL, and immobilized lipase with high stability and high activity was obtained. It was applied to the enzymatic synthesis of vitamin E succinate, and the reaction conditions were optimized to improve the yield and reduce the production cost. The review covered the research progress of the methods for enhancing the catalytic performance of immobilized enzymes and discussed its application in the synthesis of vitamin E succinate, providing new ideas and technical support for the catalytic performance enhancement of immobilized enzymes and its application in the synthesis of vitamin E succinate and promoting the production and application of vitamin E succinate.

Effective removal of Congo red and hexavalent chromium from aqueous solutions by guar gum/sodium alginate/Mg/Al-layered double hydroxide composite microspheres

In this paper, Mg/Al-layered double hydroxide (Mg/Al-LDH) was modified with the natural polymers sodium alginate and guar gum, and the prepared GG/SA/Mg-Al-LDH composite microsphere adsorbent (G-LDH) showed better adsorption performance for Congo red and hexavalent chromium in aqueous solution than the Mg/Al-LDH. The SEM image of G-LDH shows a distinct micro-spherical morphology, and it can maintain the micro-spherical morphology even after adsorbing Congo Red and hexavalent chromium. G-LDH showed strong adsorption properties for CR (Congo red) and Cr (VI) solutions with initial concentrations of 80 mg L-1 and 100 mg L-1, with adsorption amounts of 361.6 mg g-1 and 461.7 mg g-1. The unique layered structure of Mg/Al-LDH made an indispensable contribution to the efficient adsorption capacity of G-LDH when GG was used to prepare composite microspheres. The adsorption process of G-LDH is consistent with the Langmuir isotherm model and the proposed secondary kinetic model as a heat-absorbing, spontaneous, monolayer, and chemisorption process. G-LDH is an innovative anion adsorbent with excellent adsorption performance at low cost, using natural polymer materials as the backbone and the layered structure of magnesium‑aluminum hydrotalcite as the support.

Preparation, in vitro and in vivo evaluation of phloretin-loaded TPGS/Pluronic F68 modified mixed micelles with enhanced bioavailability and anti-aging activity

Phloretin exhibits strong antioxidant and anti-aging properties by inhibiting mitochondrial oxidation of glutamate, succinic acid, and ascorbic acid. However, its clinical application is limited by poor aqueous solubility and low oral bioavailability. To enhance its bioavailability and efficacy, we incorporated phloretin into nano-micelles (phloretin-MM) using the thin film dispersion method. Characterization revealed that the optimal formulation had TPGS and Pluronic F68 in a 4:1 ratio as the excipients, which resulted in spherical micelles with an average particle size of 33.28 nm and an encapsulation efficiency of 71.2 ± 0.48%. The in vitro release profile showed that the phloretin-MM showed significantly higher cumulative release rates than free phloretin across various pH conditions, while the pharmaceutical analysis in rats indicated that phloretin-MM significantly improved the oral bioavailability of phloretin (about 5 folds) in circulation. Additionally, through the analysis of the staining of zebrafish under light microscopy and the average gray value, it can be concluded that phloretin has anti-aging drug effect, and phloretin-MM is better than free phloretin. These findings suggest that TPGS/Pluronic F68-modified phloretin-MM could serve as an excellent nano-drug carrier system, potentially enhancing the solubility, bioavailability, and anti-aging effects of phloretin for broader clinical applications.

Application Progress of Immobilized Enzymes in the Catalytic Synthesis of 1,3-Dioleoyl-2-palmitoyltriglyceride Structured Lipids

In recent years, the preparation of OPO (1,3-dioleoyl-2-palmitoyltriglyceride)-structured lipids through immobilized lipase catalysis has emerged as a research hotspot in the fields of food and biomedical sciences. OPO structured lipids, renowned for their unique molecular structure and biological functions, find wide applications in infant formula milk powder, functional foods, and nutritional supplements. Lipase-catalyzed reactions, known for their efficiency, high selectivity, and mild conditions, are ideal for the synthesis of OPO structured lipids. Immobilized lipases not only address the issues of poor stability and difficult recovery of free enzymes but also enhance catalytic efficiency and reaction controllability. This review summarizes the latest advancements in the synthesis of OPO structured lipids using immobilized lipases, focusing on immobilization methods, enhancements in enzyme activity and stability, the optimization of reaction conditions, and improvements in product purity and yield. Furthermore, it delves into the reaction mechanisms of enzymatic synthesis of OPO structured lipids, process optimization strategies, and the challenges and broad prospects faced during industrial applications.

A review on the immobilization of bromelain

This review shows the endeavors performed to prepare immobilized formulations of bromelain extract, usually from pineapple, and their use in diverse applications. This extract has a potent proteolytic component that is based on thiol proteases, which differ depending on the location on the fruit. Stem and fruit are the areas where higher activity is found. The edible origin of this enzyme is one of the features that determines the applications of the immobilized bromelain to a more significant degree. The enzyme has been immobilized on a wide diversity of supports via different strategies (covalent bonds, ion exchange), and also forming ex novo solids (nanoflowers, CLEAs, trapping in alginate beads, etc.). The use of preexisting nanoparticles as immobilization supports is relevant, as this facilitates one of the main applications of the immobilized enzyme, in therapeutic applications (as wound dressing and healing components, antibacterial or anticancer, mucus mobility control, etc.). A curiosity is the immobilization of this enzyme on spores of probiotic microorganisms via adsorption, in order to have a perfect in vivo compatibility. Other outstanding applications of the immobilized enzyme are in the stabilization of wine versus haze during storage, mainly when immobilized on chitosan. Curiously, the immobilized bromelain has been scarcely applied in the production of bioactive peptides.

Development of magnetic La doped Al2O3 core-shell nanoparticle loaded hydrogel for selective recovery of fluoride from aquatic medium

The selective removal of pollutants from water bodies is regarded as a conciliation between the rapid expansion of industrial activities and need of clean water for sustainability. Fluoride is one such geogenic pollutant, and various materials have already been reported. Developing an efficient field employable material is however a challenge. Herein, we report the synthesis and competencies of strategically designed magnetic La-doped Al2O3 core-shell nanoparticle loaded polymeric nanohybrid as a benchmark fluoride sorbent. A facile synthesis strategy involved fabrication of Fe3O4 magnetic core followed by growth of La doped Al2O3 shell using sol-gel method. Doping of La2O3 into Al2O3 structure was optimised (6%), resulting in Fe3O4-Al0.94 La0.06O1.5 core-shell particles which provided exceptional fluoride affinity. The obtained magnetic Fe3O4-Al0.94La0.06O1.5 core-shell nanoparticles were then loaded (22%) into alginate to form cross-linked hydrogel beads (Fe3O4-Al0.94 La0.06 O1.5-Ca-ALG). These prepared hydrogel beads were characterised and utilized for selective recovery of fluoride under different ambient conditions. Driving forces for enhanced fluoride uptake by La doped Al2O3 were investigated and explained with the help of both experimental observation and theoretical simulation. Density functional theory calculations indicated significant expansion in the cell volume of Al2O3 due to La doping which favoured the fluoride sorption. The calculated defect formation energy for the incorporation of F into Al2O3 was found to decrease in the presence of La. XPS analysis suggested direct interaction of fluoride with Al, forming Al-F bond and breaking Al-O bond. Different vital parameters for uptake were optimised. Also, kinetics, isotherm and diffusion models were evaluated. Developed hydrogel beads attained record sorption capacity of 132.3 mgg-1 for fluoride. Overall, excellent stability, no leaching of constituents, effectiveness for selective fluoride recovery from groundwater, brand it a perfect epitome of sustainable water treatment application.

Purification of pineapple bromelain by IMAC chromatography using chlorophyll-activated macroporous matrices

This study investigated the purification of bromelain obtained from pineapple fruit using a new adsorbent for immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC), with chlorophyll obtained from plant leaves as a chelating agent. The purification of bromelain was evaluated in batches from the crude extract of pineapple pulp (EXT), and the extract precipitated with 50 % ammonium sulfate (EXT.PR), the imidazole buffer (200 mM, pH 7.2) being analyzed and sodium acetate buffer, pH 5.0 + 1.0 NaCl as elution solutions. All methods tested could separate forms of bromelain with molecular weights between ±21 to 25 kDa. Although the technique using EXT.PR stood out in terms of purity, presenting a purification factor of around 3.09 ± 0.31 for elution with imidazole and 4.23 ± 0.12 for acetate buffer solution. In contrast, the EXT methods obtained values between 2.44 ± 0.23 and 3.21 ± 0.74 for elution with imidazole and acetate buffer, respectively, for purification from EXT.PR has lower yield values (around 5 %) than EXT (around 15 %). The number of steps tends to reduce yield and increase process costs, so the purification process in a monolithic bed coupled to the chromatographic system using the crude extract was evaluated. The final product obtained had a purification factor of 6, with a specific enzymatic activity of 59.61 ± 0.00 U·mg-1 and a yield of around 39 %, with only one band observed in the SDS-PAGE electrophoresis analysis, indicating that the matrix produced can separate specific proteins from the total fraction in the raw material. The IMAC matrix immobilized with chlorophyll proved promising and viable for application in protease purification processes.

Preparation of polyhydroxyalkanoate-based magnetic microspheres for carbonyl reductase purification and immobilization

A polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) magnetic microsphere was designed for one-step purification and immobilization of a novel carbonyl reductase (RLSR5) from recombinant Escherichia coli lysate. The hydrophobic core of this microsphere was composed of a highly biocompatible polymer, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHHx), in which magnetic Fe3O4 particles were embedded during solvent evaporation. The hydrophilic shell of the fusion protein formed by PHA particle-binding protein (PhaP) and RLSR5 (PR) was expressed in recombinant E. coli. The magnetic core of Fe3O4@PHBHHx directly purified the hydrophilic shell from the E. coli lysate, and the two self-assembled to form Fe3O4@PHBHHx-PR through hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions, eliminating the separation of the fusion protein. The microstructure, magnetic properties, morphology, size, and dispersion of Fe3O4@PHBHHx-PR were investigated by XRD, VSM, SEM, TEM, elemental mapping and DLS. It was found that Fe3O4@PHBHHx-PR correctly assembled, with a well dispersed spherical structure at the nanoscale and superparamagnetism properties. The amount of RLSR5 immobilized on PHA microspheres reached 121.9 mg/g. The Fe3O4@PHBHHx-PR was employed to synthesize (R)-tolvaptan with 99 % enantiomeric excess and 97 % bioconversion efficiency, and the catalyst maintained 78.6 % activity after 10 recovery cycles. These PHA magnetic microspheres are versatile carriers for enzyme immobilization and demonstrate improved stability and reusability of the free enzyme.

A review on recent advances in the applications of composite Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles in the food industry

Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have attracted tremendous attention due to their superparamagnetic properties, large specific surface area, high biocompatibility, non-toxicity, large-scale production, and recyclability. More importantly, numerous hydroxyl groups (-OH) on the surface of Fe3O4 MNPs can provide coupling sites for various modifiers, forming versatile nanocomposites for applications in the energy, biomedicine, and environmental fields. With the development of science and technology, the potential of nanotechnology in the food industry has also gradually become prominent. However, the application of composite Fe3O4 MNPs in the food industry has not been systematically summarized. Herein, this article reviews composite Fe3O4 MNPs, including their properties, modifications, and physical functions, as well as their applications in the entire food industry from production to processing, storage, and detection. This review lays a solid foundation for promoting food innovation and improving food quality and safety.

Fabrication of Fe3O4@poly(methyl methacrylate-co-glycidyl methacrylate) microspheres via miniemulsion polymerization using porous microspheres as templates for removal of cationic dyes

A novel and simple method was proposed to prepare monodisperse magnetic microspheres with controllable particle sizes and different functionalities.

Fabrication of Yolk-Shell Fe3O4@NiSiO3/Ni Microspheres for Efficient Purification of Histidine-Rich Proteins

Magnetic materials perform well in the purification of histidine-rich proteins (His-proteins). In this work, a facile fabrication of yolk-shell magnetic Fe₃O₄@NiSiO₃/Ni microspheres for the efficient purification of His-proteins has been reported. Yolk-shell Fe₃O₄@NiSiO₃ microspheres were prepared via hydrothermal reaction. Then Ni nanoparticles (NPs) were loaded on Fe₃O₄@NiSiO₃ microspheres after the adsorption and in situ reduction of nickel acetylacetonate. The yolk-shell Fe₃O₄@NiSiO₃/Ni microspheres had a hierarchical flower-like structure and large cavities. The size of the cavity depended on the reaction time. This indicated that the microspheres had a large specific surface area for loading of more Ni NPs, which was crucial to the high His-protein adsorption capacity of Fe₃O₄@NiSiO₃/Ni microspheres. Fe₃O₄@NiSiO₃/Ni microspheres had a high adsorption capacity for bovine hemoglobin (BHb, 2822 mg/g), which was better than the values of other His-protein adsorbents. Fe₃O₄@NiSiO₃/Ni microspheres still had a high BHb separation efficiency after seven separation cycles, indicating its good reusability and stability. Therefore, the as-prepared bifunctional yolk-shell Fe₃O₄@NiSiO₃/Ni microspheres exhibited great practical application value for His-protein purification.

Fabrication of a novel core-shell-shell temperature-sensitive magnetic composite with excellent performance for papain adsorption

Herein, a novel temperature-sensitive magnetic composite (Fe3O4@SiO2@P(NIPAM-co-VI)/Cu2+) with a uniform core-shell-shell structure was successfully prepared via a layer-by-layer method. The resulting magnetic composite revealed good magnetic properties and remarkable affinity to papain with a maximum adsorption capacity of 199.17 mg g-1. The adsorption equilibrium data fitted the pseudo-second-order kinetic and Freundlich models well, and the major thermodynamics parameters indicated that adsorption was an endothermic and spontaneous process. Fe3O4@SiO2@P(NIPAM-co-VI)/Cu2+ could thermally protect papain, which is attributed to the reversible hydrophilic-hydrophobic transition of the composite at temperatures below and above the lower critical solution temperature. More importantly, the magnetic composite could be recycled at least six times without a remarkable loss in its adsorption capacity, and the process of adsorption and elution had no significant effect on the activity and structure of papain. This work could provide a novel separation method for papain without loss of its activity.

Epsilon-polylysine based magnetic nanospheres as an efficient and recyclable antibacterial agent for Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris

In this work, polyacrylic acid modified ferroferric oxide (Fe₃O₄-PAA) was synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal method. The magnetic nanospheres modified with carboxyl groups were combined with epsilon-polylysine (EPL) via an EDC/NHS coupling reaction to obtain Fe₃O₄-PAA-EPL nanospheres. Fe₃O₄-PAA-EPL was employed as an antibacterial agent against Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris and characterized by XRD, FTIR, XPS, VSM, SEM and TEM techniques. Experimental results showed the minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) of Fe₃O₄-PAA-EPL against A. acidoterrestris was 1.25 mg mL^-1. Furthermore, A. acidoterrestris treated with Fe₃O₄-PAA-EPL nanospheres obviously lysed. Morphological analysis of bacteria supported by SEM indicated that the cell membrane of A. acidoterrestris was damaged, revealing that Fe₃O₄-PAA-EPL is an effective antibacterial agent. Additionally, the nanospheres with excellent magnetism can be simply separated from a reaction system via an external magnet. The construction of magnetic nanospheres with satisfactory antibacterial activity provides an effective and new method to control A. acidoterrestris.

One-step selective affinity purification and immobilization of His-tagged enzyme by recyclable magnetic nanoparticles

The NiFe2O4 magnetic nanoparticles (NF-MNPs) were prepared for one-step selective affinity purification and immobilization of His-tagged recombinant glucose dehydrogenase (GluDH). The prepared nanoparticles were characterized by a Fourier-transform infrared spectrophotometer and microscopy. The immobilization and purification of His-tagged GluDH on NF-MNPs were investigated. The optimal immobilization conditions were obtained that mixed cell lysis and carriers in a ratio of 0.13 in pH 8.0 Tris-HCl buffer at 30℃ and incubated for 2 h. The highest activity recovery and protein bindings were 71.39% and 38.50 μg mg-1 support, respectively. The immobilized GluDH exhibited high thermostability, pH-stability and it can retain more than 65% of the initial enzyme after 10 cycles for the conversion of glucose to gluconolactone. Comparing with a commercial Ni-NTA resin, the NF-MNPs displayed a higher specific affinity with His-tagged recombinant GluDH.

Preparation of Fe3O4@PMAA@Ni Microspheres towards the Efficient and Selective Enrichment of Histidine-Rich Proteins

Magnetic material is considered to as a major concern material for the enrichment of histidine-rich proteins (His-proteins) via metal-ion affinity. In this work, magnetic polymer microspheres with core-shell structure (Fe₃O₄@PMAA@Ni) were successfully prepared via reflux-precipitation polymerization followed by in situ reduction and growth of Ni²⁺. The obtained Ni nanofoams with flower-like structure and uniform pore size (3.34 nm) provided numerous binding sites for His-proteins. The adsorption performance of Fe₃O₄@PMAA@Ni microspheres for His-proteins was estimated via selectively separating bovine hemoglobin (BHb) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) from a matrix composed of BHb, BSA, and lysozyme (LYZ). The results indicated that Fe₃O₄@PMAA@Ni microspheres could efficiently and selectively separate His-proteins from the matrix, with a maximum adsorption capacity of ∼2660 mg/g for BHb. Moreover, Fe₃O₄@PMAA@Ni microspheres exhibited good stability and recyclability for BHb separation over seven cycles. Therefore, this work reported a novel and facile strategy to prepare core-shell Fe₃O₄@PMAA@Ni microspheres, which was promising for practical applications of His-protein separation and purification in proteomics.

Magnetic micro-macro biocatalysts applied to industrial bioprocesses

The use of magnetic biocatalysts is highly beneficial in bioprocesses technology, as it allows their easy recovering and enhances biocatalyst lifetime. Thus, it simplifies operational processing and increases efficiency, leading to more cost-effective processes. The use of small-size matrices as carriers for enzyme immobilization enables to maximize surface area and catalysts loading, also reducing diffusion limitations. As highly expensive nanoparticles (nm size) usually aggregate, their application at large scale is not recommended. In contrast, the use of magnetic micro-macro (µm-mm size) matrices leads to more homogeneous biocatalysts with null or very low aggregation, which facilitates an easy handling and recovery. The present review aims to highlight recent trends in the application of medium-to-high size magnetic biocatalysts in different areas (biodiesel production, food and pharma industries, protein purification or removal of environmental contaminants). The advantages and disadvantages of these above-mentioned magnetic biocatalysts in bioprocess technology will be also discussed.

Synthesis and Characterization of a Core-Shell Copolymer with Different Glass Transition Temperatures

The aim of this study is to synthesize an organic core-shell co-polymer with a different glass transition temperature (Tg) between the core and the shell that can be used for several applications such as the selective debonding of coatings or the release of encapsulated materials. The co-polymer was synthesized using free radical polymerization and was characterized with respect to its morphology, composition and thermal behavior. The obtained results confirmed the successful synthesis of the co-polymer copolymer poly(methyl methacrylate)@poly(methacrylic acid-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate), PMMA@P(MAA-co-EGDMA), which can be used along with water-based solvents. Furthermore, the Tg of the polymer’s core PMMA was 104 °C, while the Tg of the shell P(MAA-co-EGDMA) was 228 °C, making it appropriate for a wide variety of applications. It is worth mentioning that by following this specific experimental procedure, methacrylic acid was copolymerized in water, as the shell of the copolymer, without forming a gel-like structure (hydrogel), as happens when a monomer is polymerized in aqueous media, such as in the case of super-absorbent polymers. Moreover, the addition and subsequent polymerization of the monomer methyl methacrylate (MAA) into the mixture of the already polymerized PMMA resulted in a material that was uniform in size, without any agglomerations or sediments.

The fabrication of dendrimeric phenylboronic acid-functionalized magnetic graphene oxide nanoparticles with excellent adsorption performance for the separation and purification of horseradish peroxidase

A dendrimeric phenylboronic acid-affinitive magnetic graphene oxide nanoparticle was synthesized and used to separate and purify HRP.

Zirconium doping level modulation combined with chalconylthiourea organic frameworks induced enhancement of luminescence applied to cell imaging

Derivatives of a zirconium metal–organic framework as the center polymer material with a chalconylthiourea polymer (CT) were applied to cell imaging.

The preparation of a core–shell stationary phase by the in situ polymerization of a hydrophilic polymer on the surface of silica and its chromatographic performance

A method for the in situ polymerization of polymers on a silica surface was developed.

Novel Synthesis Strategy for Biocatalyst: Fast Purification and Immobilization of His- and ELP-Tagged Enzyme from Fermentation Broth

Inspired by natural biomineralization process, inorganic phosphates system has been selected as a candidate for the encapsulation of enzyme; however, during the long-term fabrication process, the loss of enzyme activity is unavoidable, and the biomimetic mineralization mechanism is still poorly understood. Meanwhile, the purification process plays a key role in the preparation of immobilized enzyme with high enzyme loading and activity, while the rapid, low-cost, and eco-friendly purification of biocatalyst from crude fermentation broth remains a critical challenge in biochemical engineering. Here, a binary tag composed of elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) and His-tag was presented for the first time to be fused with β-glucosidase (Glu) to construct a recombinant Glu-linker-ELP-His (GLEH) with the aim of developing a fast synthesis strategy combining purification and immobilization processes for a biocatalyst with better stability and recyclability. The purification fold and activity recovery of GLEH reached 18.1 and 95.2%, respectively, once a single inverse transition cycling was conducted at 25 °C for 10 min. Then, efficient biomineralization of hybrid enzyme-Cu₃(PO₄)₂ nanoflowers was realized in 15 min by the action of His-tag and ultrasonic-assisted reaction method. The activity recovery and relative activity reached the maximum at 90.3 and 111.0%, respectively. We demonstrate that the crystal growth process of a hybrid nanoflower involves obvious nucleation, self-assembly, and the Ostwald ripening process, and the enzyme GLEH acts as a "binder" to assemble Cu₃(PO₄)₂ nanoflakes. The immobilized GLEH nanoflowers show outstanding operation stability and recyclability, and their catalytic efficiency is close to that of free Glu.

Preparation of dendritic polymer-based magnetic carrier for application of bromelain separation and purification

Bromelain has wide applications in different industries, such as food, textile, and medicine. Traditional approaches for bromelain separation and purification from solution still have many problems, including unsatisfactory binding efficiency, time-consuming operation, and costly equipment. In the present study, a new type of dendritic polymer-based magnetic carrier (GO@Fe₃ O₄ @PEI-Cu²⁺ ) was first prepared for bromelain separation and purification in solution. The histidine existing in bromelain could bind to Cu²⁺ cations adsorbed on the surface of the magnetic carrier, and the magnetic carrier showed excellent performance for bromelain separation and purification in solution, with the adsorption capacity up to 357 mg/g. The magnetic carrier also exhibited excellent property in the aspect of recyclability. It was found that the magnetic carrier also presented desirable performance for the separation and purification of bromelain from the crude extract of pineapple peel, and the bromelain structure remained intact before and after elution process. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Considering many advantages of bromelain in the applications of pharmaceutical and food industries, this study is aimed at presenting a novel magnetic carrier with high stability and fabulous performance for bromelain separation and purification in solution and achieving the practical application that the magnetic carrier can efficiently separate bromelain from the crude extract of pineapple peel.