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Conversion of citric acid to itaconic acid in a novel liquid membrane bioreactor
Author(s) -
Bressler Eyal,
Braun Sergei
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of chemical technology and biotechnology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1097-4660
pISSN - 0268-2575
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-4660(200001)75:1<66::aid-jctb176>3.0.co;2-u
Subject(s) - itaconic acid , citric acid , aspergillus terreus , bioreactor , chemistry , membrane , membrane reactor , yield (engineering) , chromatography , substrate (aquarium) , succinic acid , bioconversion , nuclear chemistry , biochemistry , organic chemistry , materials science , fermentation , copolymer , polymer , oceanography , metallurgy , geology
A novel liquid membrane reactor was designed to carry out the conversion of citric acid to itaconic (methylene succinic) acid by the fungus Aspergillus terreus . This bioreactor contained two supported liquid membranes (SLMs) that divided it into three compartments: (1) the feed chamber containing citric acid; (2) the reaction chamber containing the enzyme A terreus cells; and (3) the product collection chamber containing the counter‐ion. The specificity of SLMs allows the unidirectional flow, of the substrate from the feed to the reaction chamber, and of the product from the reaction to the product chamber in exchange for a counter‐ion, thus maintaining low concentrations of both the product and the substrate, and limiting their inhibitory effects on the conversion process. The yield of itaconic acid in the membrane bioreactor was about two orders of magnitude higher than in the batch process. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry