Ionic liquids enzymes

An ionic liquid can be used as a pure solvent or as a co-solvent. An enzyme-ionic liquid system can be operated in a single phase or in multiple phases. Although most research has focused on enzymatic catalysis in ionic liquids, application to whole cell systems has also been reported (272). Besides searches for an alternative non-volatile and polar media with reduced water and orgamc solvents for biocatalysis, significant attention has been paid to the dispersion of enzymes and microorganisms in ionic liquids so that repeated use of the expensive biocatalysts can be realized. Another incentive for biocatalysis in ionic liquid media is to take advantage of the tunability of the solvent properties of the ionic liquids to achieve improved catalytic performance. Because biocatalysts are applied predominantly at lower temperatures (occasionally exceeding 100°C), thermal stability limitations of ionic liquids are typically not a concern. Instead, the solvent properties are most critical to the performance of biocatalysts. 

The hydrophobicity of ionic liquids was found to be particularly beneficial for lipase PS-C-catalyzed transesterification of 2-hydroxymethyl-1,4-benzodioxane in the presence of vinyl acetate (277). The hydrophobic [BMIMJPFg functioned as a better promotional medium than methylene chloride and hydrophilic [BMIM]BF4, with either supported or unsupported enzyme for the catalytic transesterifications. The ionic liquid not only acted as a medium but also as a permanent host for the enzymes, so that the enzyme-ionic liquid system could be recycled several times without substantial diminution in lipase activity. 

Based on their work on supercritical CO2 (see also Scheme 23), Reetz and Leitner introduced a technologically new and interesting continuous flow process for enzymatic reactions [65]. The group designed a protocol for enzymatic reactions, namely the lipase-catalyzed acylation (CAL B) of octan-1 -ol by vinyl acetate in ionic liquids (l-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluo-romethanesulfonimide) [BMIM] [BTA]) using supercritical CO2 as the mobile phase (Scheme 25). The alcohol is pumped through the biphasic system and the products are obtained in solvent-free form in a cold trap. The enzyme/ionic liquid mixture can be recycled in batchwise or continuous flow operations. 

Rodriguez, O. Tavares, A. P. M. Cristdvao, R. Macedo, E. A. Ionic Liquids Alternative Reactive Media for Oxidative Enzymes. Ionic Liquids Applications and Perspectives, Kokorin, A., ed., InTech, Rijeka, ch. 21,2011, p. 499. 

Enzyme Ionic Liquid Technique Observation Reference... 

When either the organic solvent or the ionic liquid is used as pure solvent, proper control over the water content, or rather the water activity, is of crucial importance, as a minimum amount is necessary to maintain the enzyme s activity. For ionic liquids, a reaction can be operated at constant water activity by use of the same methods as established for organic solvents [17]. [BMIM][PFg] or [BMIM][(CF3S02)2N], for example, may be used as pure solvents and in biphasic systems. Water-miscible ionic liquids, such as [BMIM][BF4] or [MMIM][MeS04], can be used in the second case. 

In some cases, impurities in the ionic liquids resulted in dramatic pH shifts, causing enzyme inactivation. This could sometimes be overcome simply by titration or higher buffer concentrations. In other cases, purification of the ionic liquid or an improved synthesis might be necessary. 

Some enzymes require metal ions - such as cobalt, manganese or zinc - for their activity if these are removed by the ionic liquid by complexation, enzyme inactivation may occur. 

As with organic solvents, proteins are not soluble in most of the ionic liquids when they are used as pure solvent. As a result, the enzyme is either applied in immobilized form, coupled to a support, or as a suspension in its native form. For production processes, the majority of enzymes are used as immobilized catalysts in order to facilitate handling and to improve their operational stability [24—26]. As support, either inorganic materials such as porous glass or different organic polymers are used [27]. These heterogeneous catalyst particles are subject to internal and external... 

Whole-cell Systems and Enzymes other than Lipases in Ionic Liquids... 

In 1984, Magnuson et al. (Entry 1) investigated the influence of ethylammoni-um/water mixtures on enzyme activity and stability [29]. At low [H3NEt][N03] concentrations, an increased activity of alkaline phosphatase was found. The same ionic liquid was used by Flowers and co-workers, who found improved protein refolding after denaturation (Entry 2) [30]. 

In the first publication describing the preparative use of an enzymatic reaction in ionic liquids, Erbeldinger et al. reported the use of the protease thermolysin for the synthesis of the dipeptide Z-aspartame (Entry 6) [34]. The reaction rates were comparable to those found in conventional organic solvents such as ethyl acetate. Additionally, the enzyme stability was increased in the ionic liquid. The ionic liquid was recycled several times after the removal of non-converted substrates by extraction with water and product precipitation. Recycling of the enzyme has not been reported. It should be noted, however, that according to the log P concept described in the previous section, ethyl acetate - with a value of 0.68 - may interfere with the pro-... 

Iborra and co-workers (Entry 8) examined the transesterification of N-acetyl-i-tyrosine ethyl ester in different ionic liquids and compared their stabilizing effect relative to that found with 1-propanol as solvent [36]. Despite the fact that the enzyme activity in the ionic liquids tested reached only 10 to 50 % of the value in 1-propanol, the increased stability resulted in higher final product concentrations. Fixed water contents were used in both studies. 

Entries 7, 8, and 10 describe so-called Idnetically controlled syntheses starting from activated substrates such as ethyl esters or lactose. In two reaction systems it was possible to demonstrate that ionic liquids can also be useful in a thermodynamically controlled synthesis starting with the single components (Entry 11) [39]. In both cases, as with the results presented in entry 6, the ionic liquids were used with addition of less than 1 % water, necessary to maintain the enzyme activity. The yields observed were similar or better than those obtained with conventional organic solvents. 

In order to broaden the field of biocatalysis in ionic liquids, other enzyme classes have also been screened. Of special interest are oxidoreductases for the enan-tioselective reduction of prochiral ketones [40]. Formate dehydrogenase from Candida boidinii was found to be stable and active in mixtures of [MMIM][MeS04] with buffer (Entry 12) [41]. So far, however, we have not been able to find an alcohol dehydrogenase that is active in the presence of ionic liquids in order to make use of another advantage of ionic liquids that they increase the solubility of hydrophobic compounds in aqueous systems. On addition of 40 % v/v of [MMIM][MeS04] to water, for example, the solubility of acetophenone is increased from 20 mmol to 200 mmol L ... 

The report from Sheldon and co-workers was the second publication demonstrating the potential use of enzymes in ionic liquids and the first one for lipases (Entry 13) [43]. They compared the reactivity of Candida antarctica lipase in ionic liquids such as [BMIM][PFg] and [BMIM][BF4] with that in conventional organic solvents. In all cases the reaction rates were similar for all of the reactions investigated alcoholysis, ammoniolysis, and per hydrolysis. 

In recent years ionic liquids have also been employed as media for reactions catalyzed both by isolated enzymes and by whole cells, and excellent reviews on this topic are already available [47]. Biocatalysis has been mainly conducted in those room-temperature ionic liquids that are composed of a 1,3-dialkylimidazolium or N-alkylpyridinium cation and a noncoordinating anion [47aj. 

Several reports deal also with the effects of ionic liquids on enzyme enantioselectivity, which is the subject of this chapter. Although in several cases there was no change or even a decrease in enantioselectivity compared to organic solvents [47], in other cases improved enantioselectivity was observed [47,49-56]. In the following text, the latter cases will be examined in some detail. 

Aqueous solutions are not suitable solvents for esterifications and transesterifications, and these reactions are carried out in organic solvents of low polarity [9-12]. However, enzymes are surrounded by a hydration shell or bound water that is required for the retention of structure and catalytic activity [13]. Polar hydrophilic solvents such as DMF, DMSO, acetone, and alcohols (log P<0, where P is the partition coefficient between octanol and water) are incompatible and lead to rapid denaturation. Common solvents for esterifications and transesterifications include alkanes (hexane/log P=3.5), aromatics (toluene/2.5, benzene/2), haloalkanes (CHCI3/2, CH2CI2/I.4), and ethers (diisopropyl ether/1.9, terf-butylmethyl ether/ 0.94, diethyl ether/0.85). Exceptionally stable enzymes such as Candida antarctica lipase B (CAL-B) have been used in more polar solvents (tetrahydrofuran/0.49, acetonitrile/—0.33). Room-temperature ionic liquids [14—17] and supercritical fluids [18] are also good media for a wide range of biotransformations. 

Free energy of micellization, 24 130 Free enzyme-catalyzed reactions ionic liquids in, 26 897-898 Free fatty acids, 70 802-804, 825-826 removal of, 70 807 as soap bar additives, 22 742-743 Free-flow agents, in sodium chloride (salt), 22 808... 

Nomenclature, 17 384-413 basic scheme of, 17 384-385 biochemical, 17 401-402 computerized approaches to, 17 400-401 elastomer, 21 761t enzyme, 10 258-260 for ionic liquids, 26 840-841 glossaries related to, 17 404 inorganic, 17 387-394 macromolecular (polymers), 17 403 404 organic, 17 394-401 polymer, 20 390-395 pump, 21 88 quinone, 21 236-237 reactor technology, 21 358 related to mass transfer, 15 731-737 reverse osmosis, 21 674-676 Society of Rheology, 21 704 spray-related, 23 199t systematic, 17 394... 

Biocatalysts also operate in ionic liquids [28]. The ones that have been most widely investigated are the lipase family of enzymes. For example, Candida Antarctica lipase B immobilized in [bmim][BF4] or [bmim][PFe] under anhydrous conditions is able to catalyse transesterifications at rates comparable to those observed in other solvents. Certain lipase mediated enantioselective acylations have even resulted in considerable improvements in enantiomeric excesses... 

Thus, room-temperature ionic liquids have the potential to provide environmentally friendly solvents for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The ionic liquid environment is very different from normal polar and nonpolar organic solvents both the thermodynamics and the kinetics of chemical reactions are different, and so the outcome of a reaction may also be different. Organic reactions that have been successfully studied in ionic liquids include Friedel-Crafts, Diels-Alder,Heck catalysis, chlorination, enzyme catalysis,polymeriz-... 

The heme enzyme chloroperoxidase (CPO), produced by the marine fungus Caldariomycesfumago, is a versatile enzyme which exhibits a broad spectrum of chemical reactivities and it is recognized as a most promising biocatalyst for synthetic applications. Recently, pure (R)-phenyl methylsulfoxide (ee > 99 %) was prepared by chemo- and stereo-selective oxidation of phenyl methylsulfide with CPO in citrate buffer-ionic liquid mixtures. ... 

Each sample was mixed with the ionic liquid matrix (2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid/pyridine) containing C-labelled glucose as internal standard and spotted on the target. MALDI-MS analysis generated reaction profiles by the simultaneous determination of product and substrate concentrations for each enzyme variant. The reaction profiles could be used to sort the enzyme variants into five different classes. 

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