Abstract
Laccase (Lac) is an environmentally friendly commercially available low-cost biocatalyst that can act on phenolic groups at room temperature using ambient air. In this study, Lac immobilized silk fibroin (SF)-based hydrogels were employed to simultaneously absorb alkaline lignin (AL) and graft AL on SF to fabricate SFAL composite hydrogels. The immobilized Lac retained highly active, and mainly catalyzed inter- and intra-molecular covalent coupling between the phenolic groups of AL and the tyrosine residues of SF. Through imparting the unique structure of lignin, the SFAL composite hydrogels exhibited improved mechanical strength and anti-ultraviolet properties over the SF-based hydrogels. By making good use of Lac and turning diffusional limitations in Lac immobilization into advantages, this study developed a new efficient approach for production of sustainable value-added materials based on silk and lignin. This study offers a promising strategy to exploit the enormous potential of these natural biopolymers and enzymes.
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