Poly surfaces, enzymatic effects

Particles of the enzymatically synthesized phenolic polymers were also formed by reverse micellar polymerization. A thiol-containing polymer was synthesized by peroxidase-catalyzed copolymerization of p-hydroxythiophenol and p-ethylphenol in reverse micelles [70], CdS nanoparticles were attached to the copolymer to give polymer-CdS nanocomposites. The reverse micellar system was also effective for the enzymatic synthesis of poly(2-naphthol) consisting of qui-nonoid structure [71], which showed a fluorescence characteristic of the naphthol chromophore. Amphiphilic higher alkyl ester derivatives were enzymatically polymerized in a micellar solution to give surface-active polymers at the air-water interface [72, 73]. 

Enzyme activity loss because of non-productive adsorption on lignin surface was identified as one of the important factors to decrease enzyme effectiveness, and the effect of surfactants and non-catalytic protein on the enzymatic hydrolysis has been extensively studied to increase the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose into fermentable sugars [7, 9 19]. The reported study showed that the non-ionic surfactant poly(oxyethylene)2o-sorbitan-monooleate (Tween 80) enhanced the enzymatic hydrolysis rate and extent of newspaper cellulose by 33 and 14%, respectively [20]. It was also found that 30% more FPU cellulase activity remained in solution, and about three times more recoverable FPU activity could be recycled with the presence of Tween 80. Tween 80 enhanced enzymatic hydrolysis yields for steam-exploded poplar wood by 20% in the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process [21]. Helle et al. [22] reported that hydrolysis yield increased by as much as a factor of 7, whereas enzyme adsorption on cellulose decreased because of the addition of Tween 80. With the presence of poly(oxyethylene)2o-sorbitan-monolaurate (Tween 20) and Tween 80, the conversions of cellulose and xylan in lime-pretreated com stover were increased by 42 and 40%, respectively [23]. Wu and Ju [24] showed that the addition of Tween 20 or Tween 80 to waste newsprint could increase cellulose conversion by about 50% with the saving of cellulase loading of 80%. With the addition of non-ionic, anionic, and cationic surfactants to the hydrolysis of cellulose (Avicel, tissue paper, and reclaimed paper), Ooshima et al. [25] subsequently found that Tween 20 was the most effective for the enhancement of cellulose conversion, and anionic surfactants did not have any effect on cellulose hydrolysis. With the addition of Tween 20 in the SSF process for... 

Degradation of poly(esteramide)s differing in the amide/ester ratio under different media (water at 70°C, acid or enzymatic catafysis at 37°C) have been studied by evaluating the changes in intrinsic viscosity, in the NMR spectra and in the surface texture of samples [109]. Results indicated that the amide/ester ratio had to be lower than certain values in order to obtain samples with a high susceptibility to enzymatic catafysis. Enzymes with a protease activity appeared more effective than those with only an esterase activity. 

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