Enzyme immobilization by means of ultrafiltration techniques

Unstirred, plane membrane, ultrafiltration cells have been used as enzymatic reactor units. Because of the concentration polarization phenomena which take place in the system, at steady-state the enzyme is confined (dynamically immobilized) within an extremely narrow region upstream the ultrafiltration membrane. Correspondingly its concentration attains fairly high values. Kinetic studies have been therefore performed under quite unusual experimental conditions in order to better approximate local enzyme concentration levels in immobilized enzyme systems. Studies have been also carried out on the kinetics of enzyme deactivation in the continuous presence of substrate and reaction products. Once the enzyme concentration profile is completely developed, further injection into the system of suitable amounts of an inert proteic macromolecule (albumin polymers) gives rise to the formation of a gel layer onto the ultrafiltration membrane within which the enzyme is entrapped (statically immobilized). The effect of this immobilization technique has been studied as far as the kinetics of the main reaction, the substrate mass transfer resistances and the enzyme stability are concerned. The rejective properties of such gel layers towards enzymatic molecules have been exploited in producing multilayer, multi-enzymatic reactors.