Biocatalytic Membrane Reactor: Mass Transport and Applications
A special issue of Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344). This special issue belongs to the section "Biocatalysis".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 September 2020) | Viewed by 6786
Special Issue Editor
Interests: Mass transfer and separation by membrane processes (1971–); Separation of optically active components by membrane processes (2000–2011); Controlled drug release (2002–2008); Biomass utilization, bioethanol, biochemicals production (2005–); Investigation of enzyme nanoparticles (2005–); Biocatalytic membrane reactor (2010–); Energy production by PRO membrane process (2013–)
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Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The biocatalytic membrane reactor (BMR) technology is advancing rapidly around the world both in research and commercial applications. Integrating the properties of membranes with biological catalysts such as cells or enzymes forms the basis of an important new technology. Membrane layers are especially useful for immobilizing whole cells (bacteria, yeast, mammalian and plant cells) or bioactive molecules such as enzymes to produce a wide variety of chemicals and substances. Various membrane materials, hydrophobic, hydrophilic or organic and inorganic, can be used as bioreactors, while membrane layers can be either flat sheets or of a fibrous form. The main advantages of the hollow-fiber bioreactor are the large specific surface area (internal and external surface of the membrane) for cell adhesion or enzyme immobilization; the ability to grow cells to high density; the possibility for simultaneous reaction and separation; and a relatively short diffusion path in the membrane layer. Depending on the solubility of the substrate(s) and reaction product(s), the bioreactor can be monophasic or biphasic regarding the flowing fluid phases. When the substrate is a hydrophobic compound, the biphasic system is often applied for the bioreaction, especially when the product is soluble in aqueous phase. A noteworthy monophasic reaction is oxidation/reduction reactions using, e.g., peroxidase, glucose oxidase, laccase, or removal of toxic chemicals from the environment, which are taking place in aqueous phase.
BMRs can be applied for the production of foods, biofuels, plant metabolites, amino acids, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, anticancer drugs, vitamins, proteins, optically pure enantiomers, isomers, fine chemicals, as well as for the treatment of wastewater, e.g., industrial, domestic, and municipal ones. Important applications of enzyme membrane reactors include hydrolysis of macromolecules, biotransformation of lipids, reactions with cofactors, synthesis of peptides, and optical resolution of amino acids. Other widespread applications of the BMR are in food processing, the brewing industry, fruit juices, the dairy industry, the paper industry, the biofuel industry, biological detergent, the rubber industry, the photographic industry, the starch industry, and molecular biology.
For the prediction of the reactor’s performance, the description of the transport process through the biocatalytic membrane layer is crucially important. It is not only the diffusion but also the convective flow, when the substrate is forced to flow through the biocatalytic membrane, that affects strongly the process performance. One of the interesting advantages of this operating mode is that the diffusion flow, plus mostly more intensive, convection flow, makes the reaction more effective.
Prof. Endre Nagy
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- Biocatalysis
- Biocatalytic membrane reactor
- Mass transport
- Bioreactions
- Membrane structure
- Enzyme bioreactor
- Cell membrane reactor
- Membrane bioprocess applications
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