Micro/Nano-Encapsulation of Partial Oxidation Biocatalysts

78011S Many industrial liquid-phase catalytic processes that require the use of some kind of active species (e.g. sensors, biosensors, chelating agents, and chemical traps) cannot be ¿heterogeneized¿ without significantly penalizing chemical activity and/or selectivity. Biphasic liquid media strategies are an alternative, but these rely heavily on confinement of the active species in one of the two phases, potentially compromising the frequency of substrate/catalyst molecular encounters. This project will develop technology for the micro- and/or nano-encapsulation of a liquid-phase core containing the catalytic species inside a porous ¿egg-shell¿ structure. The capsules will function as micro- or nanoreactors, allowing diffusion of substrates, products and solvents through their porous shells and in and out of their cores, while keeping bulky catalytic species encaged to facilitate subsequent catalyst-product separation steps. In principle, this should lead to utilization of the oxidation biocatalyst in its most effective (non-immobilized) state, while minimizing the number of post-reaction separation steps. Phase I will manufacture and conduct preliminary testing of one core-shell material for partial oxidation catalysis. The system will be based on a core containing dissolved enzymes and a hybrid (organic/inorganic) porous shell. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The technology should maintain the activity and selectivity of the biocatalyst at the highest possible levels while still providing a means for facilitating any potential post-reaction separation step. Besides the specific catalytic process being targeted, a similar approach should be applicable to asymmetric and enzyme catalysis for fine chemicals synthesis.