Alternative to known organic solvents – (not only) for applications in biocatalysis
Seven universities are conducting research with a holistic approach – starting from molecular interactions to process parameters – under the coordination of the Leibniz University of Hannover: The research group 5730 DESMOL2PRO, ‘Tailor-made deep eutectic solvents for biocatalysis’, starts in 2025 and can build on a four-year term.
Spokesperson Prof. Dr. Selin Kara from the Institute of Technical Chemistry at Leibniz University Hannover is pleased that "this interdisciplinary and international consortium works together to build knowledge and find a sustainable technology for solvents in the chemical industry".
Sustainability and efficiency of enzymatic processes
The chemical industry is currently facing the challenge of transitioning from the classic production of petroleum-based chemicals to the sustainable synthesis of bio-based products in the sense of a circular bioeconomy. Due to their outstanding efficiency, selectivity and very mild reaction conditions, enzymes are playing an increasingly important role in industry. With these strengths, biocatalysis has found its place among the complementary catalytic methods of today's green chemistry.
Eight research groups from Germany, Austria and Croatia have joined forces in the DFG Research Unit 5730 to investigate the use of application-specific solvents to increase the sustainability and efficiency of enzymatic processes.
Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES) are a very potent class of solvent systems that offer a range of advantages for (bio)chemical conversions due to their specific properties. DES are composed of mixtures of individual substances: When combined, they result in a significant reduction in melting point, so that the resulting liquid form is structurally different from classical molecular systems. These differences in solvent behaviour are particularly advantageous in biocatalysis, as they can, among other things, enable higher enzyme stabilities and activities. The development of application-specific DES opens up a wide range of design options, including the selection of individual components and the adjustment of water content (crucial for the catalytic performance of enzymes and the reduction of viscosity). This enables the development of solvents that are able to dissolve high concentrations of substrates and products, stabilise/activate enzymes and, at the same time, enable further processing tailored to specific applications. DES can thus make a decisive contribution to expanding the scope of biocatalysis as a sustainable technology.
The main hypothesis of the DFG research group 5730 ‘Tailored Deep Eutectic Solvents for Biocatalysis – a holistic approach from molecular interactions to process parameters (DESMOL2PRO)’. It is the main hypothesis of the DFG research group 5730 that DES will fundamentally influence two critical aspects of bioprocesses, namely the reactivity and stability of biocatalysts and downstream processing. The development and intensification of bioprocesses therefore requires a different approach than classical processes with aqueous, organic and multiphase systems, and above all, a seamless integration of different disciplines. The DESMOL2PRO project explicitly addresses these two aspects by pursuing a holistic circular approach to understand and develop efficient and sustainable processes. The circular strategy will lead to a deep understanding of the development of molecules to processes and vice versa.
The research question requires a diverse team from different fields
All decisions for the use of application-specific DES in biocatalysis must be integrated into an integrated process design that encompasses the theoretical, synthetic and engineering research areas. This is made possible by a combination of research methods in the areas of the computational fundamentals of DES behaviour and interactions with the protein (Computational Unit), the investigation of enzymatic catalysis in tailor-made DES (Biocatalysis Unit) and the development of process control, including downstream processing (Engineering Unit). Since the chosen research approach requires close interdisciplinary collaboration between experts in the fields of modelling, catalysis, technical chemistry and process engineering, a diverse team of researchers at different locations – whose skills complement each other perfectly – has been formed for this research project.
The DESMOL2PRO research consortium comprises seven academic institutions:
- Leibniz Universität Hannover (DE): Prof. Dr Selin Kara (spokesperson), Dr Ningning Zhang and Dr Dörte Solle
- Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg (DE): Prof. Dr Jan von Langermann (co-spokesperson)
- University of Stuttgart (DE): Prof. Dr. Jürgen Pleiss and Prof. Dr. Niels Hansen
- Hamburg University of Technology (DE): Prof. Dr. Andreas Liese and Dr. Daniel Ohde
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (DE): Prof. Dr. Dirk Holtmann
- Graz University of Technology (AT): Prof. Dr. Robert Kourist, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Heidrun Gruber-Wölfler and Dr. Daniel Kracher
- University of Zagreb (HR): Assoc. Prof. Marina Cvjetko Bubalo (Mercator Fellow)
Speaker: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Selin Kara, Institute of Technical Chemistry, Biocatalysis and Bioreaction Engineering Group
