Integrated microreaction system for optical resolution of racemic amino acids.

We developed a novel microreaction system for optical resolution of racemic amino acids. This device, which is based on a continuous microfluidic system, consists of an enzyme-immobilized microreactor and a microextractor. Use of the enzyme-microreactor, which was prepared by membrane formation on the microchannel surface, enabled a highly enantioselective reaction for a racemic amino acid derivative. The microextractor provided a laminar flow of two immiscible solutions, which enabled selective extraction of the product. Using this integrated device, we could perform efficient continuous production of optically pure unnatural amino acids.