Sustainable preparation of immobilized (bio)catalysts for heterogeneous stereoselective transformations

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is an exopolysaccharide synthesized by various species of bacteria. Its increasing interest lies in higher purity and cristallinity over the plant cellulose, which determines also better mechanical properties; for these reasons BC is used in “high-end” markets such as in pharmaceuticals and medical applications (in wound healing and as drug carrier), in acoustic speakers production, in biosensors making. BC is mainly produced by fermentation employing strains belonging to Komagataeibacter genus (K. xylinus) and different carbon sources/growth conditions combinations. In this work we present the results obtained using modified (both in terms of particle size and chemical derivatization) BC as support for different kind of catalysts (enzymes such as esterases, ketoreductases and porphyrins-derived heterogeneous catalysts), in the transformation of various molecules of synthetic interest. The sustainable production of BC is achieved with high-producers recombinant strains of Komagataeibacter xylinus, using biomasses ( cladodes of Opuntia sp.) and industrial food-wastes (cheese-whey and citrus waste) as feedstocks.