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Optimization of organic solvent in multiphase biocatalysis
1Department of Food Science, Food and Bioengineering Group, Agricultural University Wageningen, De Dreyen 12, 6703 BC Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Biotechnology and Bioengineering
|August 1, 1985
Summary
Biocatalytic conversions using immobilized microbial cells improved stability in organic solvents. Cell immobilization in hydrophilic gels prevented biomass issues, and solvent properties influenced activity retention for optimal biotransformations.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology and Biocatalysis
- Chemical Engineering
- Microbial Processes
Background:
- Two-liquid-phase biocatalytic conversions present challenges with free-cell suspensions, including solvent-induced cell inactivation, biomass clotting, and aggregation.
- Addressing these issues is crucial for efficient industrial applications of microbial epoxidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate fundamental aspects of two-liquid-phase biocatalytic conversions using microbial epoxidation of propene and 1-butene.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of cell immobilization in hydrophilic gels for mitigating solvent-related problems.
- To determine the influence of organic solvent properties on immobilized-cell activity and biocatalyst performance.
Main Methods:
- Microbial epoxidation of propene and 1-butene using free-cell suspensions and immobilized cells in calcium alginate gels.
- Introduction of water-immiscible organic solvent phases.
- Analysis of cell inactivation, biomass clotting, and aggregation.
- Correlation of immobilized-cell activity retention with solvent properties (polarity, molecular size).
- Assessment of solvent capacity for oxygen and alkene oxides.
Main Results:
- Immobilization in hydrophilic gels prevented direct cell-organic solvent contact, mitigating clotting and aggregation.
- Gel entrapment did not offer additional protection against organic solvent inactivation.
- Activity retention of immobilized cells was dependent on solvent polarity (Hildebrand solubility parameter) and molecular size (molecular weight/molar volume).
- Optimal activity retention was achieved with low-polarity, high-molecular-weight solvents.
- Solvent polarity influenced oxygen and alkene oxide solubility, aiding in process optimization.
Conclusions:
- Cell immobilization in hydrophilic gels is effective in preventing physical issues in two-liquid-phase biocatalysis.
- Organic solvent properties significantly impact the stability and performance of immobilized biocatalysts.
- Understanding solvent-biocatalyst interactions allows for the optimization of solvent selection and polarity for enhanced biocatalytic efficiency.
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