Light controlled reversible inversion of nanophosphor-stabilized Pickering emulsions for biphasic enantioselective biocatalysis.

In this work, by utilizing photochromic spiropyrans conjugated upconversion nanophosphors, we have successfully prepared NIR/visible light tuned interfacially active nanoparticles for the formulation of Pickering emulsions with reversible inversion properties. By loading a model enantioselective biocatalytic active bacteria Alcaligenes faecalis ATCC 8750 in the aqueous phase, we demonstrated for the first time that the multifunctional Pickering emulsion not only highly enhanced its catalytic performance but also relieved the substrate inhibition effect. In addition, product recovery, and biocatalysts and colloid emulsifiers recycling could be easily realized based on the inversion ability of the Pickering emulsion. Most importantly, the utilization of NIR/visible light to perform the reversible inversion without any chemical auxiliaries or temperature variation showed little damage toward the biocatalysts, which was highlighted by the high catalytic efficiency and high enantioselectivity even after 10 cycles. The NIR/visible light controlled Pickering emulsion showed promising potential as a powerful technique for biocatalysis in biphasic systems.