This invention relates to the field of
bioremediation technology for environmental pollutants, specifically to a method for degrading side-chain-less polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using the dual-
oxygenation function of polycopper oxidases. This invention is the first to discover and demonstrate that polycopper oxidases, without the need for exogenous mediators, possess the ability to catalyze the dual-
oxygenation reaction of side-chain-less PAHs, directly adding two
oxygen atoms from
molecular oxygen to the aromatic ring of PAHs to generate the corresponding dihydroxylated intermediate. Under further
catalysis by polycopper oxidase, this intermediate selectively undergoes ring-opening cleavage at specific carbon-carbon bonds in the aromatic ring via a free radical mechanism, ultimately generating low-
toxicity, readily bioavailable monobenzene ring or straight-chain ester compounds. The method provided by this invention is mild,
environmentally friendly, and achieves thorough degradation, offering a highly efficient and green new technology for the
bioremediation of PAH-contaminated soil, water bodies, and
industrial waste.