Biocatalyzed Production of Fine Chemicals

Abstract

Fine chemicals are pure molecules useful as synthesis intermediates or as final products. The Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) normative and the new environmental protection laws in the United States, Japan, and European Union support the change of conventional synthesis procedures into more innovative, environmentally safe, nontoxic processes by using green solvents, raw materials from renewable sources, etc. In addition, the application of increasingly more efficient catalysts is one of the main challenges in the industry. Biocatalysts are the most efficient catalysts; hence, biocatalyzed synthesis of fine chemicals is opening a new innovative future for the chemical–biological industries. As a consequence, the chemical market is one of the most interesting fields in the future for biocatalysis and white biotechnology. In this article, we discuss preparation of fine (mainly) and bulk chemicals from renewable raw materials using biocatalysts, and describe the fundamentals of biocatalyzed reactions and the types of enzymes used, pointing out the application of genetically modified microorganisms, wild-type whole cells, or isolated enzymes (native or immobilized).