Enzymatic reactions in NADES as new green media: activity and substrate/product solvation effects.

This proposal aims at demonstrating the suitability and elucidating the effect of new green solvent media, natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES), on enzymatic reactions. NADES are eutectic mixtures of two or more biological primary metabolites (saccharides, amino and other organic acids, polyols, urea, choline) that are liquid at or slightly above room temperature, due to networking hydrogen bond interactions. Although they have been investigated earlier as green extraction media, reports on their use for enzymatic reactions are limited. For the first time, we will investigate their influence on enzymatic reactions by disaggregating the following effects: solvation energy, mass transfer in bulk and enzyme-substrate-intermediates stability. A well-known enzymatic conversion, i.e. deacetylation of a crude mannosylerythritol lipid (MEL) mixture aided by Novozym 435 (a commercial lipase), will be performed in selected NADES as a case example. Although no multi-parametric regression modeling will be done, qualitative (and semi-quantitative) insights will be gathered through coupling parametric solubility modeling (Hansen model, with experimental validation and input) with physicochemical characterization (viscosity, surface tension) of NADES systems, and concentration (substrate, enzyme) and temperature dependent kinetic experiments and modeling. The anticipated outcome of the project is a clear indication of enzymatic performance in fit for purpose NADES, and a breakdown of marginal efficiency change into solvation, activity and mass transfer differences with respect to traditional organic solvent systems.

Keywords:GREEN TECHNOLOGIES, ENZYME-REACTORS, SOLVENTS

Disciplines:Catalysis and reacting systems engineering, Chemical product design and formulation, General chemical and biochemical engineering, Process engineering, Separation and membrane technologies, Transport phenomena, Other (bio)chemical engineering