Enhanced dibenzothiophene biodesulfurization by immobilized cells of Brevibacterium lutescens in n-octane-water biphasic system.

In this study, it was the first report that the Brevibacterium lutescens CCZU12-1 was employed as a sulfur removing bacteria. Using dibenzothiophene (DBT) as the sole sulfur source, B. lutescens could selectively degrade DBT into 2-hydroxybiphenyl (2-HBP) via the "4S" pathway. In the basal salt medium (BSM) supplemented with 0.25 mM DBT and 0.5 g/L Tween-80, high desulfurization rate (100 %) was obtained by growth cells after 60 h. Furthermore, the n-octane-water (10:90, v/v) biphasic system was built for the biodesulfurization by resting cells. Moreover, a combination of magnetic nano Fe3O4 particles with calcium alginate immobilization was used for enhancing biodesulfurization. In this n-octane-water biphasic system, immobilized B. lutescens cells could be reused for not less than four times. Therefore, B. lutescens CCZU12-1 shows high potential in the biodesulfurization.