Batch and continuous 2‐heptanone production by Ca‐alginate/Eudragit RL entrapped spores of Penicillium roquefortii

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Abstract
The synthesis of 2-heptanone from octanoic acid by Caalginate/Eudragit RL entrapped spores of Penicillium roquefortii is performed in batch and continuous reactions. The measurement of the HCI solution needed to overcome the pH increase during the course of a reaction allows continuous monitoring of the reaction progress of batch as well as continuous processes without any aliquot sampling. The hydration of the biocatalyst prior to a bioconversion performance is of major importance to achieve reproducible results. A continuous reaction carried out at pH 6.5 for one month demonstrates the feasibility of such a process and shows that the reaction occurs with a Michaelian behavior, with KM = 1.82 mmol/L and rsm = 0.82 mmol/L h, and no intraparticle diffusion limitation is found. The complex behavior of the spores during batch reactions makes this kind of operation unsuitable for kinetic studies.