Microfluidic reactors with immobilized enzymes—Characterization, dividing, perspectives

Magnetic Microreactors with Immobilized Enzymes—From Assemblage to Contemporary Applications

“…In particular, they can be used for the synthesis of compounds that are difficult to obtain, the selection of appropriate biocatalysis conditions, or for cost-benefit analysis before scaling-up, while enzyme specificity can be investigated for target analytes determination or proteomic studies. Furthermore, enzymatic microreactors are utilized for kinetic studies and questing of enzymatic inhibitors [7]. Such sophisticated systems provide biocatalysts with the chance to work in a favorable environment, suffering limited damages.…”

“…An immobilized biocatalyst undergoes a wide assortment of benefits, including the following: (a) stabilization against chemical and environmental attacks, a cost-saving feature for large-scale industrial applications; (b) improved substrate accessibility, because aggregation of the hydrophilic protein particles is avoided; (c) improved enzyme performance under extreme reaction conditions and resistance to denaturation; (d) obtainment of the higher product yield per utilized enzyme amount; (e) reuse of the biocatalyst without any complicated purification procedure; and (f) prolonged enzyme lifetime [7][8][9]. When it comes to microreactors, an immobilized biocatalyst functioning in the inner of a microcapillary tube has the chance to yield the maximal reactor productivity per its volume and time unit.…”

“…This fact derives from the high value of enzyme-to-substrate ratio resulting from the local excess of biocatalyst molecules relative to substrate concentration, as well as the large value of the surface-to-volume ratio. A subsequent reduction of the diffusion-related limitations improves the ability of the substrate to reach the active site of the immobilized enzyme [7].…”

“…PDMS also consists of a low-cost material, which is non-toxic, gas permeable, and light transparent in a wide range of wavelengths. Both of these polymers require surface modification for the improvement of wetting properties (hydrophobic nature) and docking of biomolecules [7,10].…”

“…Another key design feature is the introduction of an additional layer in the inner of the capillary. In this way, minimal flow resistance is achieved, while the substrate molecules barely interact with the support (inner surface), minimizing the retention time in the microreactor [7].…”