Biocatalysis: a green approach to high added value chemicals

The main goal of this Ph-D. thesis was to investigate the application of biocatalysis from the point of view of both process and product sustainability. The use of two enzyme-catalysed processes for the production of enantiomerically pure compounds for pharmaceutical application was investigated (Chapter 2 and 3). In the first case (Chapter 2) the research aimed to immobilise two commercial alcohol dehydrogenases in order to obtain better performing enzymes and to evaluate their reusability for minimizing the costs of the process. In the second one, the research goal was to explore the efficiency of new (R)-selective ω-transaminases for the synthesis of chiral primary amines, which are important intermediate in the synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Finally, the possibility to combine aspects of fine chemistry and bioeconomy through the use of green processes and enzyme-assisted transformation of bioderived compounds was investigated (Chapter 4). In particular, the potential technological applications of the main components of a class of biowastes, the oilseed pressed cakes, was assessed.