B Bernhard Burghoff

Foam fractionation applications.

Biotechnological downstream processing faces several challenges, such as dilute product streams and contained target products which are sensitive to heat, oxidation, other chemicals, etc. State-of-the-art separation methods, e.g. chromatography, are not always the best option due to variable yield losses and high costs. Foam fractionation appears as a promising alternative unit operation in biotechnological downstream processing. From its applications in metal industry and on fish farms, it was developed further towards the recovery of phytonutrients, metabolites and proteins. However, no large scale applications of foam fractionation in biotechnological downstream processing exist yet. This is due to the complexity of various biotechnological media, which makes a universalized approach for systematic process design of protein separations difficult. Ongoing research in the fields of process engineering, surface chemistry and protein chemistry can help to close this gap. Although many different substances, such as detergents, have been separated or recovered using foam fractionation, this review focuses mainly on biotechnological applications, more specifically on protein separation.

Complexation of phenols and thiophenol by phosphine oxides and phosphates. Extraction, isothermal titration calorimetry, and ab initio calculations

To develop a new solvent-impregnated resin system for the removal of phenols from water the complex formation of triisobutylphosphine sulfide (TIBPS), tributylphosphate (TBP), and tri-n-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO) with a series of phenols (phenol, thiophenol, 3-chlorophenol, 3,5-dichlorophenol, 4-cyanophenol, and pentachlorophenol) was studied. The investigation of complex formation between the extractants and the phenols in the solvent toluene was carried out using liquid-liquid extraction, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), and quantum chemical modeling (B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p)//B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) and MP2/6-311++G(2d,2p)//B3LYP/6-311G(d,p)). The equilibrium constant (binding affinity, Kchem), enthalpy of complex formation (DeltaH), and stoichiometry (N) were directly measured with ITC, and the entropy of complexation (DeltaS) was derived from these results. A first screening of K chem toward phenol revealed a very high binding affinity for TOPO, and very low binding affinities for the other extractants. Modeling results showed that although 1:1 complexes were formed, the TIBPS and TBP do not form strong hydrogen bonds. Therefore, in the remainder of the research only TOPO was considered. Kchem of TOPO for the phenols in toluene increased from 1,000 to 10,000 M(-1) in the order phenol < pentachlorophenol < 3-chlorophenol < 4-cyanophenol approximately 3,5-dichlorophenol (in line with their pKa values, except for pentachlorophenol) in the absence of water, while the stoichiometric ratio remained 1:1. In water-saturated toluene, the binding affinities are lower due to co-complexation of water with the active site of the extractant. The increase in binding affinity for TOPO in the phenol series was confirmed by a detailed ab initio study, in which Delta H was calculated to range from -10.7 kcal/mol for phenol to -13.4 kcal/mol for 4-cyanophenol. Pentachlorophenol was found to behave quite differently, showing a DeltaH value of -10.5 kcal/mol. In addition, these calculations confirm the formation of 1:1 H-bonded complexes.

Investigation of structural changes of β-casein and lysozyme at the gas–liquid interface during foam fractionation

Purification and separation of proteins play a major role in biotechnology. Nowadays, alternatives to multistep operations suffering from low product yields and high costs are investigated closely amidst which one of the promising options is foam fractionation. The molecular behavior at the gas-liquid interface plays an important role in the formation and stabilization of enriched foam. This study for the first time correlates the physico-chemical parameters to the molecular structure in view of protein enrichment during foam fractionation of the two relatively different proteins lysozyme and β-casein employing biophysical techniques such as circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS). In case of lysozyme, high enrichment was achieved at pH<pI in contrast to current opinion. This is due to partial unfolding and aggregation of the lysozyme molecules under favorable foaming conditions that resulted with high enrichment of foamed protein. Under these favorable conditions, CD spectra and IRRA spectra show that the unfolding of lysozyme is partially irreversible. However, the unfavorable foaming conditions, giving low enrichment, promote only minor structural changes and these changes are fully reversible. In case of β-casein, no pronounced unfolding can be observed using CD spectroscopy and IRRAS. The β-casein molecules adsorb and purely reorient at the gas-liquid interface, depending on favorable or unfavorable conditions.

Liquid-Liquid equilibrium study of phenol extraction with Cyanex 923

Abstract Although phenol extraction with Cyanex 923 has widely been studied, liquid-liquid equilibrium between phenol and undiluted Cyanex 923 has not been thoroughly investigated. Many factors influence the phenol extraction with undiluted Cyanex 923. Increasing the phenol concentration causes a water molecule replacement in the extractant by phenol molecules. Increasing the pH value above 12 decreases the phenol distribution coefficient KD by 99.9%. A temperature increase from 15°C to 65°C results in a KD decrease of 70%. With increasing salt content KD increases due to salting-out. Adding organic acids stabilizes phenol in the aqueous phase and obstructs the extraction.

Ion Chromatography as a Novel Method to Quantify the Solubility of Pyridinium Ionic Liquids in Organic Solvents

A validated ion chromatographic method was developed and applied for the determination of the maximum solubility of pyridinium ionic liquids in several aromatic solvents. Elution was performed on a Metrosep C3-150 prototype column at 40°C with acetonitrile-water at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min(-1). Mixtures of pyridinium ionic liquids and aromatic solvents were diluted with acetonitrile and acetone on a 1:1:2 weight base before the analysis. The chromatographic time only took 20 min. The standard curves for both pyridinium ionic liquids ([4-mebupy]BF4 and [3-mebupy]N(CN)2) were linear (r(2) = 0.9980-0.9998) in all aromatic solvents (toluene, benzene, ethylbenzene and o-xylene) in the concentration range of 5.37-241 mg kg(-1). The intraday relative standard deviations (n = 3) for peak areas were 0.60-2.9%. Accuracy in the measurement of samples ranged from 98.5 to 105%. The limit of detection for both pyridinium ionic liquids in all solvents varied between 0.73 and 2.6 mg kg(-1). This assay has been successfully applied in the determination of the maximum solubilities of both pyridinium ionic liquids in several aromatic solvents. This method demonstrated that with increasing aromatic character and/or temperature the solubilities of both investigated pyridinium ILs in the aromatic solvents increase. This is primary caused by the nature of the anion.

Tunable Aqueous Polymer Phase Impregnated Resins: A Combination of the Extractant Impregnated Resin Principle and Aqueous Two-Phase Systems

This scientific note introduces a concept supposed to enhance aqueous two-phase extraction by immobilizing one of the two phases of an aqueous two-phase system in porous particles. This approach, developed by the author, is based on solvent impregnated resins. The resulting so-called (tunable) aqueous polymer phase impregnated resins might avoid drawbacks of aqueous two-phase extraction, such as long phase separation times due to persistent emulsification. Due to the novelty of the idea and resulting current lack of fundamental studies, the idea is put up to discussion in order to initiate scientific exchange and hopefully widespread investigation of its true potential.