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Development of laccase-coated membranes: applicability for emerging contaminants transformation in wastewater by Ian Coupez -
Mardi 22 septembre 2026 à 16h00 - Auditoire SUD01 - Croix du Sud - 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve
The increasing presence of emerging contaminants (ECs) in water represents a growing environmental concern that is not adequately addressed by conventional wastewater treatment. Enzymatic remediation using oxidative enzymes such as laccases offers an attractive alternative, but the transition of immobilized enzyme systems from fundamental research to practical applications remains limited. This work investigated factors contributing to these limitations through the development and evaluation of laccase-coated biocatalytic membranes. A layer-by-layer strategy based on polyethylenimine and laccase, combined with glutaraldehyde crosslinking, was optimized and applied to macroporous polycarbonate membranes. The resulting materials showed reproducible catalytic activity and stability under selected operating conditions and were subsequently used to assess their ability to transform selected model ECs through kinetic analyses. The results demonstrated that EC transformation was associated with significant enzyme inactivation, highlighting an intrinsic limitation of these biocatalysts. When considered under realistic wastewater treatment conditions, the kinetic parameters further indicated limitations to the use of immobilized laccases as standalone catalysts. Overall, this work provides a critical assessment of the practical potential of laccase-based membrane systems for water treatment and highlights the importance of considering enzyme inactivation when evaluating their applicability.
Jury members :
Prof. Christine Dupont (UCLouvain) (Supervisor)
Prof. Sophie Demoustier (UCLouvain) (Supervisor)
Prof. Evelyne Van Ruymbeke (UCLouvain) (Chairperson)
Prof. Damien Debecker (UCLouvain) (Secretary)
Prof. Patrick Gerin (UCLouvain)
Prof. Frédéric Debaste (ULB)
Prof. Jessem Landoulsi (Sorbonne Univ., Fr.)
Pay attention : the public defense of Ian Coupez will also take place in the form of a videoconference
