3D-printed xylanase within biocompatible polymers as excellent catalyst for lignocellulose degradation

As a key hemicellulase, xylanase has great potential as catalyst of degrading lignocellulose. However, the practical application of xylanase in the industrial sector is limited by its instability, high production cost and difficulties of recycling. In this study, three-dimensional (3D) printing technology was used to immobilize xylanase. The optimum immobilization conditions were determined by single-factor experiments and response surface methods: sodium alginate (SA) concentration was 1 wt%, the CaCl2 concentration was 2 wt%, the crosslinking time was 10 min, and the reaction temperature was 52celcius. As a biocompatible adhesive, calcium alginate (CA) can be easily printed. The structural programmability of 3D printing technology endowed the immobilized xylanase with sphere, hook, quadrangle and hexagon shapes. The immobilized xylanase exhibited the excellent reusability with recovered 60% enzyme activity after 7 times using compared with free xylanase. Moreover, the ability of 3D printed xylanase to degrade lignocellulose of corn cob at the large-scale indicated the great potential in the application of industrial production, which can provide a certain reference for the biological intelligent manufacturing of high value-added chemicals.