Effective elimination and biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from seawater through the formation of magnetic microfibres

Abstract

Supramolecular aggregates formed between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and either naphthalene or perylene-derived diimides have been anchored in magnetite magnetic nanoparticles. The high affinity and stability of these aggregates allow them to capture and confine these extremely carcinogenic contaminants in a reduced space. In some cases, the high cohesion of these aggregates leads to the formation of magnetic microfibres of several microns in length, which can be isolated from the solution by the direct action of a magnet. Here we show a practical application of bioreme-diation aimed at the environmental decontamination of naphthalene, a very profuse contaminant, based on the uptake, sequestration, and acceleration of the biodegradation of the formed supramolec-ular aggregate, by the direct action of a bacterium of the lineage Roseobacter (biocompatible with nanostructured receptors and very widespread in marine environments) without providing more toxicity to the environment.