Utilization of dextran grafting to prepare high-performance wood monolith for efficient bioseparation

Developing sustainable and efficient separation technologies is crucial for achieving a green transformation in the bioprocessing industry. This study proposes an innovative chromatographic material that utilizes abundant pine wood as raw material. It employs a dextran grafting strategy to functionalize the substrate, resulting in the preparation of high-capacity anion-exchange monolithic columns. This method serves as a robust sustainability strategy, converting low-value biomass into high-value separation media. The optimized monolithic material exhibits a static adsorption capacity of 122.1 mg g^-1 for bovine serum albumin and a dynamic capacity of over 97 mg g^-1. Leveraging the natural convective channels within wood, the material achieves rapid binding kinetics and exhibits excellent column permeability of 1.12 × 10^-10 m². Its exceptional reusability (over 100 cycles) and long-term stability further demonstrate its practicality and economic viability. We validated its practical application value by successfully purifying target proteins from complex mixtures. This work integrates fundamental material innovation with scalable bioprocessing technology to provide a sustainable, high-performance, and cost-effective platform for purifying proteins and other high-value bioproducts.