Spontaneous formation of highly concentrated phenylacetylcarbinol via in situ phase separation in deep eutectic solvents using Candida magnoliae whole cells
Chiang Mai University and collaborators screened nine deep-eutectic solvents with Candida magnoliae whole cells for phenylacetylcarbinol production. Choline chloride:glycerol performed best; the 20%-water system reached 148.2 mM total PAC, while a 100%-water, 1:1 DES:buffer condition improved productivity and spontaneously formed a PAC-rich top phase around 2.5 M. This integrates reaction with initial separation at laboratory scale, not yet proven sustainable at process scale.