ELECTROCHEMICAL SYNTHESIS OF MALATE FROM LACTATE AND CARBON-DIOXIDE USING MALIC ENZYME AS A BIOCATALYST

Electrochemical synthesis of malate was achieved using lactate and CO2 as starting materials with near 100% current efficiencies in a two co mpartment cell divided by an anion exchange membrane. Ruthenium dioxid e-coated titanium electrodes exhibited high activities for anodic oxid ation of lactate to pyruvate. The resulting pyruvate entered into the cathode compartment through an anion exchange membrane and was involve d in the enzymatic fixation reaction of carbon dioxide at malic enzyme (ME) to give malate with assistance of methylviologen as an electron mediator, nicotinamideadeninedinucleotide phosphate (NADP(+)) as a cof actor for ME, and ferredoxin-NADP(+)-reductase (FNR) as an enzyme for regeneration of NADPH.