Optimization of aqueous two-phase systems for the production of 6-aminopenicillanic acid in integrated microfluidic reactors-separators

Aqueous two-phase systems (ATPSs) were screened for the production of 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6-APA) catalyzed by penicillin acylase, followed by the extractive separation of 6-APA from the reaction mixture. The key point of this study was to find an ATPS exhibiting a large difference in the partition coefficients of the biocatalyst and reaction products. Several ATPSs based on polyethylene glycol (PEG)/phosphate, PEG/citrate, and PEG/dextran were tested. We found that an ATPS consisting of 15 wt% of PEG 4000, 10 wt% of phosphates, 75 wt% of water (pH value 8.0 after dissolution) provided optimal separation of 6-APA from the Enzyme. While the 6-APA was mainly found in the top PEG phase, the free Enzyme favored the bottom salt-rich phase. This ATPS also fulfils other important requirements: (i) high buffering capacity, reducing an undesirable pH decrease due to the dissociation of phenylacetic acid (the side product of the reaction), (ii) a relatively low cost of the ATPS components, (iii) the possibility of electrophoretic transport of fine droplets as well as the reaction products for both the acceleration of phase separation and the enhancement of 6-APA concentration in the product stream. Extraction experiments in microcapillary and batch systems showed that the transport of 6-APA formed in the salt-rich phase to the corresponding PEG phase could occur within 30 s. The experimental results described form a base of knowledge for the development of continuously operating integrated microfluidic reactors-separators driven by an electric field for the efficient production of 6-APA.