DISPLACEMENT OF EQUILIBRIUM IN ELECTROENZYMATIC REACTOR FOR ACETALDEHYDE PRODUCTION USING YEAST ALCOHOL-DEHYDROGENASE

Electrochemical regeneration of NAD was performed in a bench scale reactor in which yeast alcohol dehydrogenase catalyzed the oxidation of ethanol. By recycling one of the products of the reaction, it was possible to displace the equilibrium and favor the production of acetaldehyde. The flow-through electrode was made of graphite felt and had a specific area of 275 cm-1. A mathematical model taking into account the enzymatic and electrochemical reaction rates as well as the mass transfer to the electrode was used to analyze the results. The limiting steps in the reactor are the electrochemical reaction for low potentials and the cofactor mass transfer for high potentials.