Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering - Research Publications
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ItemThe use of carbonic anhydrase to accelerate carbon dioxide capture processes(WILEY, 2015-01)The chemical absorption of CO2 into a monoethanolamine solvent is currently the most widely accepted commercial approach to carbon dioxide capture. However, the subsequent desorption of CO2 from the solvents is extremely energy intensive. Alternative solvents are more energy efficient, but their slow reaction kinetics in the CO2 absorption step limits application. The use of a carbonic anhydrase (CA) enzyme as a reaction promoter can potentially overcome this obstacle. Native, engineered and artificial CA enzymes have been investigated for this application. Immobilization of the enzyme within the gas absorber or in a membrane format can increase enzyme stability and avoid thermal denaturation in the stripper. However, immobilization is only effective if the mass transfer of carbon dioxide through the liquid phase to reach the immobilization substrate does not become rate controlling. Further research should also consider the process economics of large-scale enzyme production and the long-term performance of the enzyme under real flue gas conditions.
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ItemThe resilience of carbonic anhydrase enzyme for membrane-based carbon capture applications(ELSEVIER SCI LTD, 2017-07)
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ItemNo Preview AvailableSurface Engineering of Polypropylene Membranes with Carbonic Anhydrase-Loaded Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for Improved Carbon Dioxide Hydration(AMER CHEMICAL SOC, 2015-06-09)Carbonic anhydrase (CA) is a native enzyme that facilitates the hydration of carbon dioxide into bicarbonate ions. This study reports the fabrication of thin films of active CA enzyme onto a porous membrane substrate using layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly. Deposition of multilayer films consisting of polyelectrolytes and CA was monitored by quartz crystal microgravimetry, while the enzymatic activity was assayed according to the rates of p-nitrophenylacetate (p-NPA) hydrolysis and CO2 hydration. The fabrication of the films onto a nonporous glass substrate showed CO2 hydration rates of 0.52 ± 0.09 μmol cm(-2) min(-1) per layer of bovine CA and 2.6 ± 0.7 μmol cm(-2) min(-1) per layer of a thermostable microbial CA. The fabrication of a multilayer film containing the microbial CA on a porous polypropylene membrane increased the hydration rate to 5.3 ± 0.8 μmol cm(-2) min(-1) per layer of microbial CA. The addition of mesoporous silica nanoparticles as a film layer prior to enzyme adsorption was found to increase the activity on the polypropylene membranes even further to a rate of 19 ± 4 μmol cm(-2) min(-1) per layer of microbial CA. The LbL treatment of these membranes increased the mass transfer resistance of the membrane but decreased the likelihood of membrane pore wetting. These results have potential application in the absorption of carbon dioxide from combustion flue gases into aqueous solvents using gas-liquid membrane contactors.
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ItemIn situ layer-by-layer assembled carbonic anhydrase-coated hollow fiber membrane contactor for rapid CO2 absorption(ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV, 2016-09-15)