Study of mass transfer performance of naproxen acid and ester through a multiphase enzyme-loaded membrane system

The aim of this work was to identify the transport properties of phase-transfer reaction components through a multiphase enzyme-loaded membrane system. The multiphase system is of interest for the preparation of a two-separate phase enzyme membrane reactor (TSP-EMR) applied for the enantioselective conversion of racemic ester of naproxen into the corresponding S-naproxen acid. In this work, the transport properties of the system have been measured in absence of biochemical reaction. Therefore, the overall mass transfer coefficients of reactant (naproxen ester) and product (S-naproxen acid) through the two-separate phase membrane system have been measured using deactivated enzyme-loaded membrane. The multiphase system of interest is composed of an organic and an aqueous phase separated by a polymeric membrane containing the immobilized enzyme. The enzyme was immobilized alone or in presence of oil/water emulsion, in order to either improve enzyme distribution at the o/w interface than transport of reaction components through the membrane. The mass transfer rate through the membrane as a function of axial velocity was evaluated. The transport performance through the membrane itself, the membrane loaded with enzyme, and the membrane loaded with enzyme in presence of emulsion was studied.