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Bio-recycling of plastic waste is a promising solution to plastic pollution. As one of the most abundant plastic wastes, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) can be degraded by carboxylic ester hydrolases (EC 3.1.1). Nevertheless, the biological PET hydrolysis efficiency is always limited by the low activity and poor thermostability of the enzymes. Herein, to address the above barriers, we rationally mutated the relevant sites of Thermobifida cellulosilytica cutinase 1 (ThcCut1) involved in substrate binding. The wider substrate-binding pockets after mutation could facilitate the accessibility of the enzyme to the substrate. Divalent metal-binding sites were further predicted and substituted with disulfide bonds, with the aim of effectively improving the thermostability of the mutant ThcCut1. Coupled with sequence alignment and structural dynamics analysis, the ThcCut1-D205C/E254C/Q93G variant with a melting temperature exceeding the glass transition temperature of recycled PET was constructed. After comprehensively screening the active and thermally stable mutation sites, the resulting ThcCut1-G63A/F210I/D205C/E254C/Q93G (ThcCut1-AICCG) variant exhibited high enzymatic activity at a high temperature (70 °C). As result, 96.2% of the post-consumer PET bottle particles (without energy-intensive melt-quenching pretreatment) can be successfully degraded after 96 h of hydrolysis using ThcCut1-AICCG, which was 87.5 times higher than that using the wild-type ThcCut1. This novel strategy for amino acid site analysis will facilitate the modification of homologous cutinases to improve the catalytic performance, and provide a reliable technical method for constructing a PET hydrolase modification platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DMF hydrolysis is not scaring, but further condensation of HDO over strong acid sites is the intrinsic cause for loss in PX selectivity and carbon balance. [Display omitted] • Acid strength exhibits a significant influence on PX selectivity. • DMF hydrolysis to HDO is not the intrinsic cause for decrease in PX selectivity. • Condensation of HDO over strong acid sites results in loss of PX selectivity. • The process starting with HDO and ethylene for PX production is investigated. • Reducing strong acid site amount helps to improve PX selectivity. Although a precise understanding of acid strength would be essential to elucidate the reaction mechanism and boost the catalytic activity, it is still severely deficient during p -xylene (PX) production from 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF). Herein, a series of metal phosphate catalysts featuring varied acid strength are prepared and afford an ideal platform. A combination study including kinetic analysis, converting pathway investigation and isotopic labelling experiments reveal the reversible reaction between DMF and 2,5-hexanedione (HDO) and the vital role of strong acid sites during the further conversion of HDO. DMF hydrolysis to HDO is not the intrinsic cause for decrease in PX selectivity, but further condensation of HDO over the strong acid sites is to blame. It destroys the equilibrium state of the reversible reaction and leads to loss in PX selectivity and carbon balance. Besides, the process starting with HDO and ethylene for PX production and strategies to improve PX selectivity have also been proposed. This work provides a much deeper insight into the crucial role of acid strength, which would be constructive for rational design of new catalysts and the corresponding mechanistic understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]