Application of NMR Spectroscopy and Imaging in Heterogeneous Biocatalysis

Heterogeneously catalyzed enzymatic glucose isomerization was considered as a model process to extend the application of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging techniques to the studies of biocatalytic processes and heterogeneous biocatalysts. It has been demonstrated that the T2 times of glucose are different for its aqueous solution in the pores of an unmodified porous support and in a heterogeneous biocatalyst, comprising bacterial cells immobilized on the same support. This observation has been used to map the spatial distribution of the active component within a packed bed of biocatalyst in a model reactor. 13C NMR spectroscopy was applied to follow the progress of glucose isomerization catalyzed by the heterogeneous biocatalyst in a batch reactor. The utilization of proton spin decoupling and nuclear Overhauser effect was shown to be necessary to obtain high signal-to-noise ratio in the natural abundance 13C NMR spectra of a glucose–fructose syrup present in the packed bed of biocatalyst. The spectra thus obtained were suitable for the quantification of the glucose-to-fructose ratio achieved in the biocatalytic reaction.