Peroxygenase-driven ethylbenzene hydroxylation in a rotating bed reactor

“The ability of unspecific peroxygenase (UPO) to hydroxylate a wide range of substrates with just H2O2 as a cosubstrate has attracted a great deal of attention in biocatalytic research. The enzyme’s intrinsic limitation to be inactivated by excess amounts of the oxidative cosubstrate has been tackled with in or ex situ hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) provision strategies. In this paper, we present the application of the covalently immobilized UPO mutant PaDa-I in a rotating bed reactor for the hydroxylation of ethylbenzene in a two-liquid-phase system. By monitoring product formation in the organic phase and H2O2 concentration in the aqueous phase, the multiphasic reaction was optimized.”

Highlights:

• “The results presented in this work show that the path for industrial and economic use of UPOs is becoming clearer, combining high productivities and TTNs with the ease of operation in an RBR.”
• “In a classic fed batch, 414 mM target product was accumulated in the organic phase over 58 h. A productivity of 436 mg/(L*h) and a TTN of 658 000 are, to our knowledge, among the highest ever reported for UPO-catalyzed hydroxylation of ethylbenzene in a 2LPS.” (2LPS = two-liquid phase system)
• “In conclusion, we present the first published use of an immobilized UPO in an RBR to produce (R)-1-phenylethanol."