The potential of RuBisCO in CO2 capture and utilization

Carbon capture technology is currently considered one of the promising technologies to mitigate atmospheric CO₂ concentration. CO₂ capture and utilization (CCU) captures anthropogenic waste CO₂ and valorizes it into useful products, supporting a circular transition pathway towards carbon neutrality. Unfortunately, the thermodynamic stability of CO₂ requires a high-energy input for its conversion, resulting in processes with a net positive carbon footprint. The incorporation of enzymes as biocatalysts in a process is attractive, as it facilitates CO₂ conversion under ambient conditions. In Nature, the conversion of CO₂ into organic compounds is done through photosynthesis, using an enzyme called ribulose-1,5-biphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO). RuBisCO plays a central role in the natural assimilation of CO₂, making it the enzyme chosen in Nature upon which all life forms depend. However, the slow carboxylation rate of RuBisCO (1–10/s) has caused it to be overlooked by faster enzymes such as carbonic anhydrase (CA), which has a carboxylation rate of 10⁶/s. Despite this, RuBisCO has a rate enhancement of 10⁸ to 10¹⁰ times higher than CA. Thus, this review aims to take a closer look at RuBisCO and examine its potential in CCU. Various aspects are considered, such as RuBisCO’s performance in comparison to other enzymes, approaches to overcome its limitations, its applications and implications in CCU, the valuable chemicals that can be derived from it, recent developments in RuBisCO-integrated processes, and its economic and environmental considerations. Through this, RuBisCO’s potential as one of the key enzymes in CCU will be explored.