Development of Chemical Microreactors by Enzyme Immobilization onto Textiles

Advanced biotechnological techniques are now being used in the chemical engineering of membrane processes, notably enzyme immobilization procedures, biosensors, and, more recently, proteomics. The knowledge and increasingly fine control of the production and reactivity of enzymes also profits research whose aim is to use on a large scale the catalytic material properties of biocatalysts (enzymes). These materials with reactive properties could be introduced into membrane technology, opening as a new field the treatment of liquid media according to the concept of membrane bioreactors, where the membrane itself acts as the chemical reactor. As will be discussed herein, the ionic-exchanging textiles will be involved in this futurology.