White-rot basidiomycete-mediated decomposition of C60 fullerol
Abstract
Industrially produced carbon-based nanomaterials (CNM), including fullerenes and nanotubes, will be introduced into the environment in increasing amounts in the next decades. One likely environmental chemical transformation of C60 is oxidation to C60 fullerol through both abiotic- and biotic-mediated means. Unfortunately, knowledge of the environmental fate of oxidized CNM is lacking. This study used bulk and compound-specific 13C stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry techniques and spectroradiometry analysis to examine the ability of two white rot basidiomycete fungi (Phlebia tremellosa and Trametes versicolor) to metabolize and degrade an oxygenated CNM, C60 fullerol. After 32 weeks of decay, both fungi were able to bleach and oxidize fullerol to CO2. Additionally, the fungi incorporated minor amounts of the fullerol carbon into lipid biomass. These findings are significant in that they represent the first report of direct biodegradation and utilization of any fullerene derivative and provide valuable information about the possible environmental fates of other CNM.
Date of this Version
2009
DOI
10.1021/es801873q
Repository Citation
Schreiner, Kathryn M.; Filley, Timothy R.; Blanchette, Robert A.; Bowen, Brenda B.; Bolskar, Robert D.; Hockaday, William C.; Masiello, Caroline A.; and Raebiger, James W., "White-rot basidiomycete-mediated decomposition of C60 fullerol" (2009). Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Faculty Publications. Paper 75.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/es801873q
Volume
43
Issue
9
Pages
3162-3168
Link Out to Full Text
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/es801873q