New Polyethylenimine-Based Polycationic Polymers with Plant Additives for Immobilizing Phototrophic Microorganisms

Abstract

The immobilization of the microalgae (MA) of cells on biosorbents based on polyethyleneimine and cellulose-containing plant components is studied. Polyethyleneimine-based polycationic polymers have a high level of affinity for the surface structures of the MA and ensure that the cells are strongly attached to the surface of the sorbent. The introduction of plant fillers in the composition of such polymers allows us to increase their biodegradation rate and reduce costs. In the present study, six insoluble porous polymeric materials obtained by the cryopolymerization of a mixture of polyethyleneimine and various plant components using diethylene glycol diglycidyl ether were synthesized. The lyophilized biomass of plant cell cultures of Ajuga turkestanica and Polyscias fruticosa, as well as the cell-structured material (CSM) obtained from their biomass, is used as a bio-filler. Studying the kinetics and evaluating the efficiency of the immobilization of cells of the model MA culture showed the high sorption ability of the obtained materials: after 24 h of cultivation, the efficiency of immobilization was 72–77%. Assessment of the level of the photosynthetic activity of the MA cells using the method of pulse-simulated fluorimetry demonstrated that the studied biosorbents did not have any toxic effect on the cells and did not affect their functional activity. Novel biosorbents can be effectively used to collect the biomass of microorganisms from natural aquatic environments and industrial cultivators.