Simple fabrication of polymer-based Trametes versicolor laccase for decolorization of malachite green

A highly efficient and stable biocatalyst (denoted D201_Lac) was fabricated by encapsulating Trametes versicolor laccase within a macroporous and strongly basic exchange resin D201 through a simple adsorption process. Transmission electron micrographs and Fourier transform infrared spectra of the resultant D201_Lac proved that nanosized laccase clusters were embedded into the inner nano-pores/channels of D201. As compared to the free laccase, D201_Lac showed enhanced resistance in the pH range of 3-7 or at temperature of 30-60°C. Besides, negligible laccase was leached out from the host polymer D201 in solution of pH 3-7 and NaCl concentration up to 0.5M, which might be attributed to the electrostatic attraction and the possible twining between long-chain laccase and the cross-linking host resin. Continuous seven-cycle batch decoloration of malachite green demonstrates that decoloration efficiency of D201_Lac kept constant for more than 320-h operation.