%0 Journal Article
%A Gonzalez, Ernesto
%A García Montalvo, Jorge
%A Gallego Rojo, Elena
%A Ladero Galán, Miguel
%A Bolívar Bolívar, Juan Manuel
%T Experimental Monitoring and Modeling of Oxygen Dynamics in Laccase-Catalyzed Phenolic Oxidation
%D 2026
%@ 2058-9883
%U https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/130685
%X Oxygen-dependent enzymes such as laccases play a central role in green oxidation processes, yet kinetic analyses often overlook the dynamic role of dissolved oxygen. In this study, we propose a useful methodology for the experimental monitoring and kinetic modeling of oxygen-consuming enzymatic reactions, demonstrated using the laccase-catalyzed oxidation of gallic acid and ferulic acid. The method integrates real-time monitoring of dissolved oxygen and substrate concentration with dynamic simulations accounting for oxygen mass transfer and bi-substrate kinetic models commonly used to describe laccase-catalyzed reactions. Experiments were conducted in both non-sparged and air-sparged systems to assess kinetic behavior under oxygen-limited and oxygen-sufficient conditions. The method yielded well-constrained kinetic constants for gallic acid and revealed a biphasic oxygen-uptake pattern for ferulic acid, arising from secondary oxidation of radical intermediates. Using Aspen Custom Modeler built-in non-linear regression and numerical integration algorithms, kinetic parameters were estimated by fitting them to complete time-course data, enabling accurate modeling of complex oxygen-dependent reactions. The proposed framework provides a practical tool for studying oxidase-catalyzed processes under conditions where dissolved-oxygen dynamics can be experimentally resolved, and supports more rational design of biocatalytic systems where oxygen availability governs the activity, selectivity and control of complex reaction networks.
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