Direct electrochemical regeneration of 1,4-NADH at the copper foam and bimetallic copper foam

Herein, Cu foam and bimetallic Cu foams are introduced as the cost efficient and easy to scale up electrode for efficient electrochemical regeneration of NADH. The porous copper foam was electrochemically deposited at the copper foil. Cu foam was used as a template for preparation of Ag and Pt coated Cu foam by galvanic replacement of Cu with silver and platinum. The nature and structure of the prepared foams were characterized by energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy. Electrochemical behavior of NAD+ was studied by cyclic voltammetry at the surface of prepared foams. Also regeneration of the enzymatic cofactor NADH in a batch electrochemical reactor using Cu foil, Cu foam, Ag coated and Pt coated Cu foam electrodes has been investigated. The effect of thickness of Cu foam and the reduction potential of NAD+ on the recovery percent of 1,4-NADH was investigated to achieve the most efficient conditions for electrochemical regeneration of NADH. The regeneration yields of enzymatically active NADH were about 80%, 70% and 75% using the Cu foam, Ag and Pt coated Cu foam electrodes, respectively which all of them were more than that observed at Cu foil electrode 54%.