Designing membrane electrochemical reactors for oxidoreductase-catalysed synthesis

The purpose of this work was to design an electrochemical reactor to enhance the high selectivity of enzyme-catalysed processes. In order to develop economically efficient syntheses, the enzymes must be confined in the strict vicinity of the electrode surface. Here the confinement was achieved with a dialysis membrane in a so-called Dialysis-Membrane Electrochemical Reactor (D-MER). Oxidation of glucose into gluconic acid catalysed by glucose oxidase was a first example. The ADH-catalysed reduction of cyclohexanone into cyclohexanol was also tested in a new type of MER. NADH was electrochemically regenerated thanks to mediator (methyl viologen or rhodium complex). The key point in developing electro-enzymatic process is to ensure perfect suiting of the reactor design to the reactions that are to be processed.