Light-harvesting alginate hydrogel for sustainable photobiocatalysis

Abstract

We report visible light-driven, asymmetric hydrogenation of C=C bonds using an ene-reductase from Thermus scotoductus SA-01 (TsOYE) and a light-harvesting dye (rose bengal, RB) co-immobilized in alginate hydrogel. Highly efficient encapsulation of RB in alginate hydrogel was achieved using the intrinsic affinity between TsOYE and RB, which allowed for the construction of robust RB-TsOYE-loaded alginate capsules. In the absence of NADH, the photobiocatalytic system facilitated asymmetric reduction of 2-methylcyclohexenone to an enantiopure (R)-2-methylcyclohexanone (ee>99%, max. conversion: 70.4%, turnover frequency: 1.54 $min^{-1}$, turnover number: 300.2) under illumination. A series of stability tests revealed a significant enhancement of TsOYE's robustness in alginate hydrogel against heat and chemical denaturants. This study provides insight into a greener and sustainable approach of cofactor-free OYE catalysis for producing value-added chemicals using light energy.