Efficient Synthesis of Pyruvic Acid from Biomass based on Gas‐Liquid‐Solid Triphase Bioelectrochemical Cascade Reaction
The enzymatic synthesis of pyruvic acid (PyA) from biomass-derived lactic acid (LA) using oxidases under mild conditions represents a promising sustainable route. However, its efficiency is hindered by insufficient O<sub>2</sub> mass transfer and undesired PyA degradation resulting from the enzymatic byproduct H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>. Herein, we present an gas-liquid-solid triphase bioelectrochemical reaction system that can address these two challenges symmetrically. This design ensures an efficient supply of O<sub>2</sub> from the air phase to the lactate oxidase (LOx) active zone, thereby overcoming the mass-transfer constraint of oxygen. Simultaneously, the in situ electro-oxidation of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> minimizes the degradation of PyA. Consequently, the reaction system achieves a production rate of 54.34 µM h<sup>-1</sup> U<sup>-1</sup>, which is 63-fold greater than that of conventional liquid-solid diphase enzymatic systems. Mathematical modeling and electrochemical studies revealed that enhanced local O<sub>2</sub> levels and efficient H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> removal are the keys to superior performance. This work provides a sustainable and efficient route for PyA biosynthesis while demonstrating the potential of engineered bioelectrocatalytic environments for green synthesis.
Authors
- Xinjian Feng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3646-9199)
- Lihui Huang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4112-1752)
- Zhiping Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6452-3116)
- Yaolan Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5045-5749)
- Mengli Zeng
- Jun Zhang
- Siyu Zou
Institutions
- Suzhou University of Science and Technology (CN)
- Soochow University (CN)
- Xiangtan University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- ChemSusChem
- Published
- 2026-03-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.202502726
- Primary Topic
- Catalysis for Biomass Conversion
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00