Ionic Liquid Biocatalyst Solvent for Enzyme Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional biocatalyst solvents fail to dissolve enzymes at high concentrations and retain their activity over a wide temperature range, leading to conformational destruction and activity deterioration during storage and use.
Innovation Solution
A biocatalyst solvent comprising an anhydrous or hydrous ionic liquid with a quaternary ammonium cation and a hydrogen-bondable anion, such as sulfate or phosphate, which forms hydrogen bonds with enzyme residues, enhancing solubility and stability at high concentrations and varying temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional solvents are used for biocatalyst storage, then the biocatalyst can be stored in solution form, but the biocatalyst undergoes conformational destruction and activity deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the storage medium by using ionic liquids with specific cation-anion combinations (e.g., choline chloride with organic acid anions) instead of conventional aqueous buffers. This parameter change enables the solvent to form protective interactions with the biocatalyst, preventing conformational destruction while maintaining solution-state storage convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite ionic liquid systems combining specific cations (e.g., choline, amino acid-derived cations) with specific anions (e.g., acetate, propionate, butyrate) to create a synergistic storage medium. This composite approach allows the solvent to simultaneously provide structural stability, prevent aggregation, and maintain biocatalyst activity over extended periods.
2Quantity of substance
If the biocatalyst storage concentration is increased to improve efficiency, then more biocatalyst can be stored in the same volume, but the biocatalyst molecules aggregate and lose activity
Solution Approach 1:
The ionic liquid acts as an intermediary between biocatalyst molecules at high concentrations. The cation-anion pairs in the ionic liquid insert themselves between biocatalyst molecules, preventing direct aggregation while maintaining high storage concentration. This intermediary effect allows dense packing without loss of individual biocatalyst molecule activity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the electrostatic and hydrophobic parameters of the storage medium by selecting ionic liquids with appropriate cation-anion combinations. These parameter changes create repulsive or steric barriers between biocatalyst molecules even at high concentrations, preventing aggregation while maximizing storage density.
3Reliability
If freeze preservation is used to maintain biocatalyst conformation, then the biocatalyst structure is preserved, but ice formation destroys the conformation and requires special apparatus
Solution Approach 1:
The patent exploits the phase transition properties of ionic liquids, which remain liquid at low temperatures down to their eutopic points (some below -50°C). This allows the biocatalyst to be stored in liquid form at refrigeration temperatures without freezing, eliminating ice formation damage and the need for cryogenic apparatus while maintaining conformational stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the thermal parameters of the storage system by using ionic liquids with depressed freezing points. This parameter change allows storage at conventional refrigeration temperatures (4°C) or even lower without phase change to ice, eliminating the need for complex freeze-preservation infrastructure while maintaining structural integrity.
4Reliability
If polyhydric alcohols or proteins are added as stabilizers to prevent deactivation, then some activity is retained, but enzyme activity deteriorates with respect to storage concentration, temperature, or period
Solution Approach 1:
The ionic liquid components (cation and anion) act as dual intermediaries that simultaneously stabilize the biocatalyst structure and prevent destabilizing interactions. The cation interacts with negatively charged regions while the anion interacts with positively charged regions, providing comprehensive protective coverage that maintains activity stability over extended storage periods regardless of concentration or temperature variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite ionic liquid systems where specific cation-anion pairs work synergistically to provide multi-faceted protection. This composite stabilizing system addresses multiple degradation pathways simultaneously (conformational change, aggregation, oxidation) providing superior long-term stability compared to single-component stabilizers.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a biocatalyst solvent which is capable of dissolving a biocatalyst in a liquid state while maintaining the activity of the biocatalyst at a high concentration from a low temperature to a high temperature, and is capable of storing the biocatalyst for a long time period; and a biocatalyst solution using the biocatalyst solvent. Disclosed is a biocatalyst solvent which consists of an ionic liquid including a quaternary ammonium cation represented by the following Formula (I) and an anion: [Chemical Formula 1] N+[Ra]n[Rb]4-n (I) wherein Ra's each independently represent a hydroxyalkyl group having one or more hydroxyl groups and an a linear or branched alkyl moiety having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, in which the alkyl moiety may contain an oxygen atom; a carboxyalkyl group having one or more carboxyl groups and a linear or branched alkyl moiety having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, in which the alkyl moiety may contain an oxygen atom; or a hydroxycarboxyalkyl group having one or more hydroxyl groups, one or more carboxyl groups and a linear or branched alkyl moiety having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, in which the alkyl moiety may contain an oxygen atom; Rb's each independently represent a hydrogen atom, or a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms; and n represents an integer from 1 to 4.