Heterogeneous biocatalyst for nitrile and amide transformation based on cells of nitrile-hydrolyzing bacteria and multiwalled carbon nanotubes

A heterogeneous biocatalyst for the biotransformation of nitriles and amides of carboxylic acids in the form of cells of nitrile-hydrolyzing bacteria immobilized on the carrier, was created based on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). It was shown that bacterial cells form aggregates in contact with powderformed purified or unpurified MWCNTs. The amount of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria binding with unpurified MWCNTs was significantly higher than with purified. The nitrile hydratase and amidase activity of bacterial aggregates of purified MWCNTs was preserved to a greater extent as compared to that of unpurified MWCNTs and cells adhered to the surface of the carbonized pyrosealing material with MWCNTs. Both gram-positive Rhodococcus ruber gt1 and gram-negative Alcaligenes faecalis 2 remained viable when cultured in the presence of purified or unpurified MWCNTs. The obtained heterogeneous biocatalyst can be easily separated from the medium by filtration and can be used repeatedly.