Biotic and abiotic carbon to sulfur bond cleavage. Final report
The microbial desulfurization of organosulfur compounds occurs by unprecedented and largely unexplored biochemical processes. A study of such biotic desulfurizations can be expected to give rise to new and useful chemistry and enzymology. The potential value of understanding and harnessing these processes is seen in relation to the need for methods for the removal of organically bound sulfur from coal and the degradation of organic sulfur-containing pollutants. This research effort has been directed towards an examination of desulfurization ability in well characterized microorganisms, the isolation of bacteria with desulfurization ability from natural sources, the characterization and mechanistic evaluation of the observed biocatalytic processes, the development of biomimetic synthetic organic chemistry based on biotic desulfurization mechanisms and the design and preparation of improved coal model compounds for use in microbial selection processes. A systematic approach to studying biodesulfurizations was undertaken in which organosulfur compounds have been broken down into classes based on the oxidation state of the sulfur atom and the structure of the rest of the organic material. Microbes have been evaluated in terms of ability to degrade organosulfur compounds with sulfur in its sulfonic acid oxidation state. These compounds are likely intermediates in coal desulfurization and are present in the environment as persistent pollutants in the form of detergents. It is known that oxygen bonded to sulfur lowers the carbon-sulfur bond energy, providing a thermodynamic basis for starting with this class of compounds.
- Research Organization:
- Purdue Univ., Lafayette, IN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG22-90PC90294
- OSTI ID:
- 10150691
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/PC/90294-T4; ON: DE94011775; BR: AA1525050; TRN: AHC29411%%24
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: [1994]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Biotic and abiotic carbon to sulfur bond cleavage. Technical report, July 1, 1991--September 30, 1991
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Related Subjects
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
COAL
DESULFURIZATION
BIODEGRADATION
ESCHERICHIA COLI
PERFORMANCE TESTING
KLEBSIELLA
PROGRESS REPORT
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
REMOVAL
CHEMICAL BONDS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
010402
560300
PURIFICATION AND UPGRADING
CHEMICALS METABOLISM AND TOXICOLOGY