Biodesulfurization using Pseudomonas delafieldii in magnetic polyvinyl alcohol beads

Aims: To immobilize Pseudomonas delafieldii R‐8 cells in magnetic polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) beads for biodesulfurization. Methods and Results: Magnetic PVA beads were prepared by a freezing–thawing technique under liquid nitrogen. The beads have distinct super‐paramagnetic properties and their saturation magnetization is 8·02 emu g−1. The desulfurization rate of the immobilized cells could reach 40·2 mmol kg−1 h−1. Desulfurization patterns of dibenzothiophene in model oil with the immobilized and free cells were represented by the Michaelis–Menten equation. The Michaelis constant for both immobilized and free cells was 1·3 mmol l−1. Conclusions: The cells immobilized in magnetic PVA beads could be stably stored and be repeatedly used over 12 times for biodesulfurization. The immobilized cells could be easily separated by magnetic field. Significance and Impact of the Study: Magnetic PVA beads are easy to prepare. The immobilization process in the paper is to increase the efficiency of cells and to decrease the cost of operations.