Efficient utilisation of hydrogel preparations with encapsulated enzymes – a case study on catalase and hydrogen peroxide degradation

• We present a model for the process of enzyme encapsulation in hydrogels.
• Parameters influencing the process efficiency and substrate conversion rate are selected.
• The diameter of the gel capsule used for enzymatic preparation influences the process efficiency.
• Encapsulated enzymes remain more active than native enzymes and enzymes immobilised on solid supports.

The size of the gel preparation, the concentration of the encapsulated enzyme and the ratio of the preparation volume to the volume of the reaction mixture influence the reaction efficiency with encapsulated biocatalysts. A model of first order enzymatic reaction with substrate diffusion is presented and validated by the decomposition reaction of hydrogen peroxide by catalase. The Thiele modulus (Ф) contains the modified (including the enzyme concentration) enzymatic reaction constant (k′). Based on the model analysis, the Thiele modulus should not exceed a value of 2 (optimally less than 0.5). This value can be controlled by appropriate selection of the enzyme concentration inside and the size of the capsule. A lower Ф value gives a flat substrate concentration profile inside the gel capsule and all the enzyme molecules are involved in the reaction. The optimal diameter of the gel capsule with respect to their separation from the reaction mixture is 1–2 mm.

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