Biocatalysts and Processes of Enzymatic Conversion of Substrates Into Valuable Products of Chemical Organic Synthesis (Review of Domestic Developments)

Abstract

Biocatalysis, both in homogeneous and heterogeneous modes, is an independent interdisciplinary direction of scientific and practical research of predominantly one-stage processes of conversion of initial reagents (substrates) into valuable products that are in demand on the market, with the participation, as a rule, of one enzyme as a catalyst. Biocatalytic single-enzyme processes, which have all the specific features of enzymatic catalysis, are alternative and quite competitive compared to traditional chemical production. This review provides information on the investigations and success of Russian research groups/laboratories that have been actively and productively working in the field of the biocatalysis over the past decades and have practical developments protected by Russian patents, which, under favorable circumstances, can be offered to commercial enterprises/companies for testing and use on a laboratory and/or semi-industrial scale with the prospect of industrial scale-up. In the review, special attention is paid to targeted systematic studies of lipolytic enzymes (lipases), which have a unique ability to catalyze reactions in organic solvents, including esterification and transesterification, which result in the production of valuable products of organic synthesis such as various esters. Lipases are active components of heterogeneous biocatalysts (BCs) prepared by attachment (immobilization) of these enzymes on the surface of solid supports and adsorbents. The review briefly describes the results of study by domestic research teams, provides a complete bibliography of their works, which contains information about the methods for preparing BCs, their catalytic properties (enzymatic activity, substrate specificity, operational stability), as well as the conditions for carrying out biocatalytic processes involving developed BCs such as the synthesis of acrylamide and various esters. Taking into account the average activity (A), close to the activity measured at the half-inactivation time (t1/2), and operational stability, characterized by the value t1/2, a rather rough assessment of the productivity of the BCs was carried out based on the amount of produced valuable product (in tons) per 1 kg of developed biocatalyst.