Supernatants from a fermentation process of Pichia pastoris were investigated by Raman spectroscopy. Using partial least squares regression, the principal substrates glycerol and methanol could be predicted, however not the expressed protein. To gain further insight, a priori prepared calibration samples were studied by vibrational-, UV/Vis-, and fluorescence spectroscopy. For the quantification of glycerol and methanol, Raman spectroscopy was identified as the most sensitive technique, and superior to near-infrared spectroscopy, but not for protein contents below 1 g L–1. Both UV/Vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy are well suited for the quantification of protein, however, best results were obtained with UV/Vis absorption.
The Collaborative Research Center InPROMPT aims to establish a novel process concept for the hydroformylation of long-chained olefins, using a rhodium complex as catalyst in the presence of syngas. Recently, the hydroformylation in micro-emulsions, which allows for the efficient recycling of the expensive rhodium catalyst, was found to be feasible. However, the temperature and concentration sensitive multi-phase system demands a continuous observation of the reaction to achieve an operational and economically feasible plant operation. For that purpose, we tested the potential of both NMR and Raman spectroscopy for process control assistance. The lab-scale experiments were supported by sampling for off-line GC-analysis as reference analytics. The results of the NMR experiments will be part of another contribution.