Event Date: Tuesday, August 23, 2016
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Professor Sasha Omanovic
Department of Chemical Engineering
(Electrochemistry / Corrosion Laboratory)
McGill University
will present a talk entitled:
"Electrochemical regeneration of co-enzyme NADH"
on Tuesday, August 23, 2016
at 2:00 PM
Room ChB 115, Chemistry Building
Abstract: Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide NAD(H) is a co-enzyme involved in a large number of enzymatic redox reactions in which it acts as a hydrogen and electron shuttle. Consequently, NAD(H) is found in the oxidized (NAD+) and reduced (NADH) form, with 1,4-NADH being the only enzymatically-active reduced form. Although the potential industrial use of NAD(H) is large, due to its very high cost (especially that of 1,4-NADH; over $1 million per kg, depending on the form) and the need to be added in a biochemical reactor in stoichiometric quantities, its current use is very limited. Hence, there is a need to develop in-situ 1,4-NADH regeneration methods, and electrochemistry can make a significant contribution in solving the problem However, the major problem in the electrochemical regeneration of 1,4-NADH is the formation of an enzymatically inactive dimer, NAD2. This is mostly due to the slow protonation of NAD• radicals formed in the first reaction step, enabling the fast dimerization of the two neighboring radicals.
This seminar will present research done in Prof. Omanovic’s laboratory on the development of electrodes for 1,4-NADH regeneration. It will be shown that the percentage of enzymatically active 1,4-NADH in the product mixture depends on the kinetics of the NAD• radical protonation step, which could be controlled by either (i) selection of an electrode material that offers an optimum electrode-hydrogen bond strength, (ii) nano-patterning of the electrode surface to provide dedicated hydrogen (Hads) adsorption sties, or (iii) controlling the NAD+ reduction potential. It will also be shown that it is possible to obtain a 100%-pure 1,4-NADH product by employing some of these approaches.
Visisting Speaker in Chemistry ~ Professor Sasha Omanovic
