Modelling and optimisation of enzymatic separating micro-reactor

A mathematical model of an enzymatic separating microreactor with the electro-osmotic control of reaction component transport rates is analysed. The micro-reactor is considered in a form of a thin channel filled with a gel containing an immobilised enzyme and an adsorbent where the enzyme reaction, the molecular diffusion, the electro-osmotic flux and the adsorption take place. The substrate inhibited enzyme reaction splitting a non-ionic substrate to two non-ionic products is considered. The reactor operates in a periodic regime, when the channel entry is exposed to the periodic substrate concentration pulses. A chromatographic separation of reaction components, therefore, proceeds in the channel. Effects of principal operational parameters of the reactor system-the reaction channel length, the electric current density, the substrate inlet concentration, the rate of adsorption, and the enzyme activity--on resolution of the products at reactor outlet are analysed. The existence of optimum parameter values (maximising the resolution of reaction products) is shown and a multiparametric optimisation of the reactor performance is accomplished.