title: Enzymatic coupling of phenol vapors onto chitosan.
abstract: Phenols are important industrial chemicals, and because they can be volatile, also appear as air pollutants. We examined the potential of tyrosinase to react with the volatile phenol p-cresol. Three lines of evidence support the conclusion that volatile phenols react with tyrosinase and are coupled (i.e., chemisorbed) onto chitosan films. First, phenol-trapping studies indicated that p-cresol can be removed from vapors if the vapors are contacted with tyrosinase-coated chitosan films. Second, the ultraviolet absorbance of tyrosinase-coated chitosan films changes dramatically when they are contacted with cresol-containing vapors, whereas control films are unaffected by contacting with cresol vapors. Third, pressure measurements indicate that tyrosinase-coated chitosan films only react with cresol vapors if the oxygen cosubstrate is present. Additional studies demonstrate the potential of tyrosinase-coated chitosan films/membranes for the detection and removal of phenol vapors.
authors.affiliation: Center for Agricultural Biotechnology, 5115 Plant Sciences Building, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, College Park, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: L Q
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vazquez-Duhalt
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Payne
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D001709:Biotechnology; D002686:Chitin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry*; D048271:Chitosan; D003408:Cresols / Q000737:chemistry; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000737:chemistry*; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase / Q000737:chemistry; D019800:Phenol / Q000737:chemistry*; D011485:Protein Binding; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D013997:Time Factors; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003408:Cresols; D004202:Disinfectants; D002686:Chitin; D019800:Phenol; D048271:Chitosan; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase