Open tubular heterogeneous enzyme reactors: Preparation and kinetic behavior

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Abstract
Tubes with immobilized enzymes on the inner wall, called open tubular heterogeneous enzyme reactors, were prepared by binding enzymes either directly to the tube inside surface or to a layer of a porous matrix attached to the inner wall. Kinetic studies of the hydrolysis of N‐benzoyl‐L‐arginine ethylester as a model reaction indicated that the reaction was kinetically controlled in reactors with surface bound trypsin and the kinetic parameters were evaluated by conventional methods. On the other hand, substrate diffusion in both the porous matrix and the bulk substrate solution strongly affected the rate of reaction in porous layer trypsin reactors. The highest overall rates of reaction were obtained when the reaction was bulk diffusion controlled and the measured rates were in agreement with those calculated from expressions derived from heat transfer theory. The design of reactors for the limiting cases of kinetic and bulk diffusion controlled reaction as well as a method for the determination of substrate diffusivity are outlined.