Enzyme immobilization on ultrafine cellulose fibers via poly(acrylic acid) electrolyte grafts

Ultrafine cellulose fiber (diameter 200-400 nm) surfaces were grafted with polyacrylic acid (PAA) via either ceric ion initiated polymerization or methacrylation of cellulose with methacrylate chloride (MACl) and subsequent free-radical polymerization of acrylic acid. PAA grafts by ceric ion initiated polymerization increased with increasing reaction time (2-24 h), monomer (0.3-2.4 M), and initiator (1-10 mM) concentrations, and spanned a broad range from 5.5-850%. PAA grafts on the methacrylated cellulose fibers also increased with increasing molar ratios of MACl to cellulosic hydroxyl groups (MACl/OH, 2-6.4) and monomer acrylic acid (AA) to initiator potassium persulfate (KPS) ratios ([AA]/[KPS], 1.5-6), and were in a much narrower range between 12.8% and 29.4%. The adsorption of lipase (at 1 mg/ml lipase and pH 7) and the activity of adsorbed lipase (pH 8.5, 30 degrees C), in both cases decreased with increasing PAA grafts. The highest adsorption and activity of the lipase on the ceric ion initiated grafted fibers were 1.28 g/g PAA and 4.3 U/mg lipase, respectively, at the lowest grafting level of 5.5% PAA, whereas they were 0.33 g/g PAA and 7.1 U/mg lipase, respectively, at 12.8% PAA grafts on the methacrylated and grafted fibers. The properties of the grafted fibers and the absorption behavior and activity of lipase suggest that the PAA grafts are gel-like by ceric-initiated reaction and brush-like by methacrylation and polymerization. The adsorbed lipase on the ceric ion-initiated grafted surface possessed greatly improved organic solvent stability over the crude lipase. The adsorbed lipases exhibited 0.5 and 0.3 of the initial activity in the second and third assay cycles, respectively.     

The adherence of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli on cotton, polyester and their blends

The adherent behaviour of the Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis and the Gram-negative Escherichia coli on cotton, polyester and their blends through contact in aqueous suspensions was studied. Staphylococcus epidermidis was found to adhere to fabrics much more so than Staph. aureus. The adherence of both Staph. epidermidis and Staph. aureus to fabrics increased as the content of polyester fibres in the fabrics increased. The attachment of E. coli to all fabrics was very low and was not affected by the fibre contents. Total numbers of adherent bacteria on cotton and polyester fabrics were related directly to the concentrations of the bacterial suspensions. The extents of adherence, expressed by the percentage of adherent bacteria from the suspension, however, were independent of the concentration. The length of contact with bacteria was also found to affect the adherence of bacteria on fabrics studied.     

Chitosan bicomponent nanofibers and nanoporous fibers

Nanofibers with average diameters between 20 and 100nm have been prepared by electrospinning of 82.5% deacetylated chitosan (Mv=1600 kDa) mixed with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA, Mw=124-186 kDa) in 2% (v/v) aqueous acetic acid. The formation of bicomponent fibers was feasible with 3% concentration of solution containing up to an equal mass of chitosan. Finer fibers, fewer beaded structures and more efficient fiber formation were observed with increasing PVA contents. Nanoporous fibers could be generated by removing the PVA component in the 17/83 chitosan/PVA bicomponent fibers with 1M NaOH (12 h). Fiber formation efficiency and composition uniformity improved significantly when the molecular weight of chitosan was halved by alkaline hydrolysis (50 wt% aqueous NaOH, 95 degrees C, 48 h). The improved uniform distribution of chitosan and PVA in the bicomponent fibers was attributed to better mixing mostly due to the reduced molecular weight and to the increased deacetylation of the chitosan.