Since the last decades on, the main goals in the science fields has started changing. In fact, nowadays, researchers are trying to carry out not only chemical process improvements, cost reductions and increases in quality, but also to respect the health and environment safety requirements proposed by Green Chemistry. One of the consequences of this change of perspective is the rapidly expanding number of biocatalyst applications in the 20th century and the translation of global biocatalysis research work into industrial applications.

As further confirmation to this my research focus is on the development of a system for the light-driven biocatalytic oxyfunctionalisation in continuously operated meso-scale flow bioreactors. In details, the process aspires to synthesise, with a more ecofriendly process, (R)-1-phenyl ethanol, a truly interesting chiral alcohol broadly used as pharma intermediate and in the perfumery industry, which traditionally is obtained through the use of hazardous compounds.

Firstly, in order to achieve this goal, different immobilization methods will be evaluated for the spatial localization; secondly, photocatalyst’ development and assessment will be implemented and, thirdly, a suitable union of the bio- and photo- catalytic cascade will be studied.