Process Requirements of Galactose Oxidase Catalyzed Oxidation of Alcohols

Abstract

Biocatalytic oxidation reactions have the potential to substitute many chemically catalyzed oxidations in the pharmaceutical and fine chemical industry due to their superior regio- and stereoselectivity and low environmental impact. Galactose oxidase (GOase) has been shown to be a promising biocatalyst for the oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols to their corresponding aldehydes and ketones, respectively. However, GOase requires a number of additives to sustain its catalytic function, such as the enzyme catalase for degradation of the byproduct hydrogen peroxide as well as single-electron oxidants to reactivate the enzyme upon loss of the amino acid radical in its active site. In this work, the addition of catalase, single-electron oxidants, and copper ions was investigated systematically in order to find the minimum concentrations required to obtain a fully active GOase. Furthermore, it was found that the concentration and type of buffer is essential for the activity of GOase, which was significan...