Strategy for deciding between the use of single or biphasic systems as media for biocatalytic transformations using chemical equilibrium analysis

A theoretical model is derived to decide whether biphasic systems or single-phase aqueous systems are chosen as the media for microbial transformations. The yield ratio and product ratio at chemical equilibrium, which depend on the partition coefficients, equilibrium constants, activity coefficients and initial concentrations, are proposed as appropriate indices by the analysis of four common types of biochemical reaction under two extreme initial conditions.