An enzymatic continuous-flow reactor based on a pore-size matching nano- and isoporous block copolymer membrane
Zhenzhen Zhang, Liang Gao, Alexander Boes, Barbara Bajer, Johanna Stotz, Lina Apitius, Felix Jakob, Erik S. Schneider, Evgeni Sperling, Martin Held, Thomas Emmler, Ulrich Schwaneberg, Volker Abetz
Abstract
Abstract Continuous-flow biocatalysis utilizing immobilized enzymes emerged as a sustainable route for chemical synthesis. However, inadequate biocatalytic efficiency from current flow reactors, caused by non-productive enzyme immobilization or enzyme-carrier mismatches in size, hampers its widespread application. Here, we demonstrate a general-applicable and robust approach for the fabrication of a high-performance enzymatic continuous-flow reactor via integrating well-designed scalable isoporous block copolymer (BCP) membranes as carriers with an oriented and productive immobilization employing material binding peptides (MBP). Densely packed uniform enzyme-matched nanochannels of well-designed BCP membranes endow the desired nanoconfined environments towards a productive immobilized phytase. Tuning nanochannel properties can further regulate the complex reaction process and fortify the catalytic performance. The synergistic design of enzyme-matched carriers and efficient enzyme immobilization empowers an excellent catalytic performance with >1 month operational stability, superior productivity, and a high space-time yield (1.05 × 10 5 g L −1 d −1 ) via a single-pass continuous-flow process. The obtained performance makes the designed nano- and isoporous block copolymer membrane reactor highly attractive for industrial applications.