Optimization of Catechol Production Using Immobilized Resting Cells of Pseudomonas putida in Aqueous/organic Two-phase System

An aqueous/organic two-phase reaction system was applied to the production of catechol using immobilized resting cells of Pseudomonas putida CY 400. Water/ethyl ether system was used because of high partition coefficient of catechol and thus to reduce the product inhibition and degradation. Among the tested immobilization carriers, polyacrylamide gel gave the highest catechol productivity. The immobilization seemed to protect the cells against solvent toxicity. From the simulation of reaction conditions based on two-phase models, it was found that there was an optimum acetate concentration at fixed benzoate and cell concentrations for the catechol productivity. A lower phase volume ratio (lower fraction of organic phase) gave a higher productivity. However, the substrate conversion was low at low phase volume ratio.