Progress in enzymatic membrane reactors – a review

The enzymatic membrane reactor (EMR) consists on a coupling of a membrane separation process with an enzymatic reaction. The selective membrane aims to separate the biocatalyst from the reaction products. The main objective of EMR is to ensure the complete rejection of the enzyme in order to maintain the full activity inside the reacting volume. Depending on the case, enzyme molecules may be freely circulating on the retentate side or immobilised onto the membrane surface or inside its porous structure. This article intends to report some significant information showing the last progress realised in the knowledge of the phenomena which limit the performances of EMR, and to mention openings towards new and more efficient systems. A special attention is also paid to new catalytic membrane devices that could result in improved enzyme stability and high performance particularly in non-conventional solvents.