Diffusion and reaction in an immobilized enzyme starch saccharification catalyst

Effectiveness factors were predicted from measurements of basic parameters made on single oligosaccharides, and the prediction was compared to experimental effec tiveness factors for the reaction of each oligosaccharide in the immobilized enzyme catalyst. Kinetic parameters were obtained for the hydrolysis of each oligosaccharide catalyzed by soluble glucoamylase, and were fit with a subsite model equation capable of generalization to all sizes of oligosaccharide. Diffusion coefficients in free solution were determined from movement out of a capillary tube. Spatial characteristics of the immobilized enzyme bed were obtained from pulse response experiments, allowing the calculation of effective diffusivities. Experimental effectiveness factors plotted against modulus were in reasonable agreement with the predictions.