Enzymatic polymerisation and effect of fractionation of dissolved lignin from Eucalyptus globulus Kraft liquor

The potential ability of the laccase from Myceliophthora thermophila, either alone or with low molecular weight (LMW) additives, to polymerise a dissolved lignin from Kraft liquor of eucalypt cooking was investigated. A previous study of enzymatic performance (activity and stability) was carried out using a design experiment methodology. In addition, Kraft dissolved lignin (KDL) was fractionated according to two different protocols (solvent extraction and acidic fractionation) in order to identify possible lignin fractions with noticeable polymerisation ability. KDL and its corresponding lignin fractions were treated with laccase and analysed by size exclusion chromatography and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results provide conclusive evidence of notable lignin modifications after incubation with laccase. Moreover, lignin fractionation allows to obtain lignin fractions with different chemical characteristics and polymerisation capability. Depending on the type of raw lignin, molecular weight can increase from 4- to 21-fold by means of laccase polymerisation.