Nanoreactor

Nanoreactors are a form of chemical reactor that are particularly in the disciplines of and . These special reactors are crucial in maintaining a working ; which is essentially a foundry that manufactures products on a nanotechnological scale.

Researchers in the Netherlands have succeeded in building that can perform one-pot multistep reactions - the next step towards artificial cell-like devices in addition for applications involving the screening and diagnosis of a disease or illness.[1] A biochemical is created simply by unwrapping abiological through scientific methods, eliminating its harmful contents, and re-assembling its protein coat around a single molecule of enzyme.[2] The kinetic isotope effect is trapped in a single molecule within a membrane-based nanoreactor.[3] This is a phenomenon that has been found by researchers in theUnited Kingdom during experiments done in September 2010.[3] The kinetic isotope effect, where the rate of a reaction is influenced by the presence of an isotopic in solution, is an important principle for elucidating reaction mechanisms.[3]This recent finding could open up new methods to study chemical reactions.[3]They may even aid in the process of creating new (and even more powerful) nanoreactors.[3]

Using nanocrystals, a scalable and inexpensive process can ultimately create nanoreactors.[4] Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley have the ability to take advantage of the large difference in select components to create these nanocrystals and nanoreactors.[4] Nanocrystals are easier to use and less expensive than methods that employsacrificial templates in the creation process of hollow particles.[4] Catalyst particles are separated into shells in order to prevent particle aggregation.[4] Selective entry into the catalysis chamber reduces the likelihood of desired products undergoing secondary reactions.[4]

Nanoreactors can also be built by controlling the positioning of two different enzymes in the central water reservoir or theplastic membrane of synthetic nanoscopic bubbles.[5] Once the third enzyme is added into the surrounding solution, it becomes possible for three different enzymatic reactions to occur at once without interfering with each other (resulting in a "one-pot" reaction).[5] The potential for nanoreactors can be demonstrated by binding the enzyme horseradish peroxidaseinto the membrane itself; trapping the enzyme glucose oxidase.[5] The surrounding solution would end up containing the enzyme lipase B with the glucose molecules containing four acetyl groups as the substrate.[5] The resulting glucose would cross the membrane, become oxidized, and the horseradish peroxidase would convert the sample substrate ABTS (2,2’- azinobis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) into its radical cation.