Aug 2026· Chemistry - An Asian Journal· Vol 21 15, pp.
e70903
· 0 citations· 51 references
Medicine
Abstract
Plasticizers added to plastics are toxic, endocrine-disrupting chemicals that may leach into the environment. Chemical and microbial degradation were reported to degrade the plasticizers. Most chemical methods operate at high temperature and pressure (energy-intensive conditions), whereas microbial hydrolases suffer from issues such as enzyme denaturation and low substrate loading. Therefore, the development of artificial biomimetic hydrolase is crucial. Microbial hydrolases utilize the proximity and proper orientation of the reactants (binding pocket) to catalyze hydrolysis in aqueous media. Inspired by nature, a novel membrane transport-inspired biomimetic approach (nanozyme) was developed to hydrolyze stable esters of aromatic acids (plasticizers) at physiological pH. This approach utilized choline- and thiocholine-based cationic micellar nanostructures to achieve high plasticizer loading in water. The nanozymes were activated by electrochemical stimulation via water splitting near the cathode, and the proximity of the reactants (plasticiser, nucleophilic catalyst, and transiently high pH) was established. Mechanistic investigations suggest that the perturbation of the pKas of hydroxy/thiol groups of nucleophilic choline or thio-choline moieties assisted the nucleophilic attack by the catalyst amphiphiles (NLC, NLTC) to hydrolyze the stable plasticiser esters in the green aqueous medium.
Reframing plastic degradation as a multi-scale, designable system rather than a single-enzyme process highlights opportunities for coupling protein engineering with controlled deployment, including biofilm-based localization and metabolic pathway integration, to enable more effective and environmentally relevant microplastic remediation.
Debashrita Majumder, Anushree Dutta, D. Lahiri et al.· Preparative Biochemistry & B...· 0 citations
Emerging contaminants (ECs), including pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), endocrine‐disrupting chemicals (EDCs), pesticides, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), have attracted increasing attention due to their persistent occurrence and potential risks to ecosystems and human health. Enzymatic bioremediation has attracted increasing attention because of its high catalytic efficiency, substrate specificity, and environmental friendliness. However, the practical application of free enzymes is limited by poor stability, easy deactivation, and low reusability. Enzyme immobilization has emerged as an effective strategy to enhance enzyme stability, activity retention, and operational performance. This review summarizes recent advances in immobilized enzymes for the degradation of ECs, with a focus on laccase, peroxidases, catalase, and organophosphorus hydrolase. Different immobilization methods and support materials, including metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), magnetic nanomaterials, biochar, and carbon‐based materials, are critically compared. Current challenges, such as mass‐transfer limitations, by‐product toxicity, and scale‐up issues, are discussed. Future prospects, including AI‐assisted carrier design and multienzyme catalytic systems, are also highlighted.
Ji-Yue Zhang, Xin Wang, Yi-Bo Cui et al.· CLEAN - Soil, Air, Water· 0 citations
This study reviews the various micro- and nano-plastic (MNP) pollution, which demands immediate mitigation strategies in aquatic ecosystems to ensure an effective, scalable, and sustainable solution. The focus is summarising the physical, chemical, and biological processes to remediate MNP contamination. Physical techniques such as adsorption, flotation, and filtration are also considered representative strategies. Pollutants like biochar and carbon nanotubes can be removed by adsorption in plants. However, there is a risk of secondary pollution from this. Advanced filtration methods, such as sand filtration and membrane bioreactor, can achieve very high removal efficiency, but problems with membrane fouling limit scalability. Flotation holds tremendous potential if the right conditions are implemented. It also includes the chemical degradation methods (polar media like hydrogen peroxide and advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and thermal degradation. Some AOPs rely on reactive species to degrade plastics, but they typically follow an energy-intensive route, whereas thermal degradation can decompose plastics with its own environmental cost. A molecular approach involving biological remediation, involving microbial and enzymatic degradation, is perceived as an environmentally friendly solution. Organisms with promising plastic-degrading abilities include
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
and
Bacillus cereus
, genetically engineered microorganisms, and fungal treatments. Moreover, the degradation of MNPs plays a substantial role in microbial biofilms. Nanotechnology is a potential supplement to MNP remediation processes, especially engineered nanoparticles. However, the study highlights the need for further research to optimise these methods, improve scalability, and ensure environmental safety, recommending a multi-faceted approach to ensure the effective and sustainable mitigation of MNP pollution.
Ishrat Perveen, Muhammad Yaqoob, Nimra Afzal et al.· Sustainable Environment Rese...· 0 citations
Pollution by emerging contaminants like microplastic is one of the major environmental concerns. Microplastics have become ubiquitous anthropogenic pollutants of aquatic, terrestrial and atmospheric ecosystems, and can generate considerable ecological and health-related risks. Conventional remediation regimes are widely ineffective, due to the physicochemical recalcitrance of polymer matrices. Recent advances in microbial biotechnology have revealed several contrasting microbial taxa and enzyme systems, which can convert or mineralize synthetic polymers through a variety of pathways of complex biochemistry. This review summarizes the current understanding of microbial–polymer interactions, including surface colonization, biofilm-mediated depolymerization, and intracellular uptake of degradation intermediates. It also discusses recent developments in enzyme engineering, strain optimization employing the CRISPR method, and synthetic biology approaches improving catabolic efficiency. The advent of a variety of multi-omics technologies of metagenomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics has enabled the characterization of novel hydrolases and oxidoreductases with a high potential catalytic efficiency. Advances in nanobiocatalysis, enzyme immobilization, and bioreactor technology improve the scale-up of these processes. Related molecular developments and environmental applications will promote the application of microbial biotechnology as a selective and sustainable tool for the mitigation of microplastic accumulation and the development of a circular bioeconomy that interacts positively with ecosystem resilience.
Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) are high-volume manufacturing organic materials used in plasticisers to increase the elasticity of the core polymer. They are reported to spread into the surroundings from plastic products and are now a global environmental contaminant. Several environmental sources, particularly water, have been examined for phthalate contaminant levels. These substances are discharged directly into the environment and cannot be chemically bound. The presence of PAEs in different ecological environments is a major concern since they are endocrine disruptors and can interact with hormones, which can lead to problems with development and reproduction. Earlier studies have explored the occurrence, fate, and concentration of phthalates. This review discusses how different oxidative techniques employed for modifying carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can improve their ability to remove PAEs by changing their surface chemistry. Several oxidation approaches introduce oxygenated functional groups on the CNT surface, which increase their specific surface area, making them suitable for adsorbing contaminants like phthalate esters. The adsorption capacity was found to be controlled by the nanotubes' specific surface areas, which varied with their outer diameters. Because of the π–π interaction between the graphitic surface of the nanotubes and the benzene ring of the phthalates, as well as hydrogen bonds, charge-assisted hydrogen bonding, van der Waals forces, and electrostatic interactions between PAEs and CNTs, the adsorption capacity was much higher than that of other materials. PAEs' toxicological and environmental effects have drawn global attention. The present article reviews the use of oxidised CNTs in advanced carbon materials for removing PAEs from polluted and hazardous environments.
K. G., S. T., R. Sasikumar et al.· Nanoscale Advances· 0 citations
Surfactants continue to find expanding applications in areas such as environmental remediation, consumer product formulation, and textile processing; however, their petrochemical origin and associated environmental toxicity remain significant concerns. As a result, considerable effort has been directed toward the development of “green” surfactants, which are naturally derived and exhibit reduced toxicity while maintaining the functionality of conventional surfactants. Glycolipids, a class of bacterially derived surfactants composed of a sugar headgroup and alkyl tail, represent a promising subset of these materials with potential in applications such as environmental remediation and wastewater treatment, agriculture, aqueous mining, cosmetics, and detergents. Traditionally, glycolipids are produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa as mixtures of mono- and dirhamnolipids with alkyl chains containing 10 carbons. However, recent advances in synthetic chemistry have enabled the production of single congeners and systematic variation of both headgroup composition (e.g., rhamno-, xylo-, and galactolipids) and alkyl chain length. The interfacial properties of these materials have not been comprehensively characterized. Here, we report a systematic evaluation of the surface and interfacial properties of a series of newly synthesized glycolipids. These compounds exhibit significantly lower critical micelle concentrations than sulfate surfactants of comparable alkyl chain length, while maintaining similar minimum surface tension values. This indicates that glycolipids retain comparable effectiveness while offering substantially greater efficiency. Variations in headgroup identity produce minimal changes in interfacial behavior, whereas alkyl chain length and tail architecture (single vs. double) have a pronounced impact. Together, these results elucidate structure–property relationships governing interfacial behavior and provide a foundation for the development of applications leveraging these green surfactants.
