Enzyme-based biohybrid foams designed for continuous flow heterogeneous catalysis and biodiesel production

Abstract

The one-pot synthesis and use of monolithic biohybrid foams in a continuous flow device reported in here presents the advantages of covalent stabilization of the enzymes, together with a low steric hindrance between proteins and substrates, optimized mass transport due to the interconnected macroporous network and simplicity with regard to the column in situ synthetic path. Those features, when applied to transesterification (biodiesel production) via enzyme catalysis, provide among the top enzymatic activities displayed by biohybrid catalysts bearing unprecedented endurance of continuous catalysis for a two month period.