Effect of CO(2) and CHF(3) on the Solubilization of Protein in Reverse Micelles

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2000 Dec 15;232(2):269-272. doi: 10.1006/jcis.2000.7214.

Abstract

The effect of dissolved CO(2) and CHF(3) on the precipitation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) from reverse micelles of sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) in 2,2,4-trimethylpentane (iso-octane) has been studied at 308.15 K. It was found that BSA can be precipitated completely by CO(2) while the AOT and water remain in the iso-octane continuous phase. This opens up a possibility for recovery of protein solids directly from reverse micellar solutions. CHF(3) is also an effective agent for precipitation of BSA in the reverse micelles when the expansion coefficient of CHF(3) exceeds 0.4. However, the condition required for complete removal of the BSA using CHF(3) results in some precipitation of AOT and water from the solution. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.