Organic solvents lipases

The dynamic cyanohydrin system was next challenged with lipase-catalyzed transesterification resolution using different operational conditions. Thus, different lipases, organic solvents, additives, and acyl donors were evaluated. Isopropenyl acetate 26 was chosen and used as acyl donor because its reaction produces acetone as by-product, which does not interfere in the reaction and the NMR spectra. Molecular sieve 4 A was also added in the dynamic resolution process to control the water activity. The lipase preparation PS-C I was chosen in the resolution process since it expressed the highest lipase activities for both the substrate structure and the enantiomeric selectivities. Different organic solvents were also... 

Chirazymes. These are commercially available enzymes e.g. lipases, esterases, that can be used for the preparation of a variety of optically active carboxylic acids, alcohols and amines. They can cause regio and stereospecific hydrolysis and do not require cofactors. Some can be used also for esterification or transesterification in neat organic solvents. The proteases, amidases and oxidases are obtained from bacteria or fungi, whereas esterases are from pig liver and thermophilic bacteria. For preparative work the enzymes are covalently bound to a carrier and do not therefore contaminate the reaction products. Chirazymes are available form Roche Molecular Biochemicals and are used without further purification. 

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. 

Many substrates currently produced in the chemical industry are immiscible with water, but are readily miscible with organic solvents. Most enzymes, however, will not operate efficiently, or not operate at all, in non-aqueous media. Some exceptions do exist, such as lipases and esterases, which can operate in non-aqueous environments. Currently, there is considerable interest in extending the range of enzymes that do work in organic solvents. 

Adsorption on solid matrices, which improves (at optimal protein/support ratios) enzyme dispersion, reduces diffusion limitations and favors substrate access to individual enzyme molecules. Immobilized lipases with excellent activity and stability were obtained by entrapping the enzymes in hydrophobic sol-gel materials [20]. Finally, in order to minimize substrate diffusion limitations and maximize enzyme dispersion, various approaches have been attempted to solubilize the biocatalysts in organic solvents. The most widespread method is the one based on the covalent linking of the amphiphilic polymer polyethylene glycol (PEG) to enzyme molecules [21]. 

Of course, the influence of organic solvents on enzyme enantioselectivity is not limited to proteases but it is a general phenomenon. Quite soon, different research groups described the results obtained with lipases [28]. For instance, the resolution of the mucolytic drug ( )-trans-sobrerol (11) was achieved by transesteriflcation with vinyl acetate catalyzed by the lipase from Pseudomonas cepacia adsorbed on celite in various solvents. As depicted in Scheme 1.3 and Table 1.5, it was found that t-amyl alcohol was the solvent of choice in this medium, the selectivity was so high ( >500) that the reaction stopped spontaneously at 50% conversion giving both +)4rans-sobrerol and (—)-trans-sobrerol monoacetate in 100% optical purity [29]. 

Table 1.5 I nfluence ofthe organic solvent on the enantioselectivity of the lipase PS (from Pseudomonas species) in the kinetic resolution of racemic trans-sobrerol (10).

An example that refers to the third method additives can be employed is described below. Markedly enhanced enantioselectivity was reported for P. cepacia lipase and subtilisin Carlsberg with chiral substrates converted to salts by treatment with numerous Bronsted-Lowry adds or bases [63]. This effect was observed in various organic solvents but not in water, where the salts apparently dissociate to regenerate... 

Using this approach, racemates of (27) were enantiomerically enriched using a lipase in organic solvent, followed by racemization of the unreacted enantiomer in buffer. Acylated derivatives (S)-(28) were obtained in yields >50% and >99% ee. Lipases with the opposite enantioselectivity produced (R)-28 in >99% ee. Subsequent chemical deacylation of (28) yielded enantiomerically enriched (27). 

Hydrolysis of substrates is performed in water, buffered aqueous solutions or biphasic mixtures of water and an organic solvent. Hydrolases tolerate low levels of polar organic solvents such as DMSO, DMF, and acetone in aqueous media. These cosolvents help to dissolve hydrophobic substrates. Although most hydrolases require soluble substrates, lipases display weak activity on soluble compounds in aqueous solutions. Their activity markedly increases when the substrate reaches the critical micellar concentration where it forms a second phase. This interfacial activation at the lipid-water interface has been explained by the presence of a... 

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. 

Alkanolamides from fatty acids are environmentally benign surfactants useful in a wide range of applications. It was found that most lipases catalyze both amidation and the esterification of alkanolamides however, normally the predominant final products are the corresponding amides, via amidation, and also by esterification and subsequent migration [15]. Recently, an interesting example for the production of novel hydroxyl-ated fatty amides in organic solvents has been carried out by Kuo et cd. [16]. 

Other important derivatives for the preparation of (i-aminoacids are the corresponding P-aminonitriles. Lipase-catalyzed N-acylations of racemic cis-2-aminocyclopentane and cyclohexane carbonitriles with 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl butanoate have been successfully carried out in organic solvents and ionic liquids [53], PSL yielding better results than CALB (Scheme 7.29). 

Scheme 7.31 Lipases in P-dipeptide synthesis in organic solvents.

A mixed solvent system of an IL with organic solvent sometimes gave very nice results LundelP reported that enhanced enantioselectivity was obtained when lipase-catalyzed acylation was carried out in a mixed solvent system of [emim][TFSI] with t-BuOMe (1 1), while poor enantioselectivity was recorded for that in the pure [emim][TFSI] solvent (Fig. 11). 

Ganske and co-workers reported that lipase-catalyzed acylation of a glucose derivative proceeded smoothiy in a mixed soivent of [bmim][BF4] with r-BuOH, while no reaction took place in [bmim][BF4] (Fig. 12). These results taught us that a mixed soivent system of IL with organic solvent may be a good solution if the desired reaction did not take piace in a pure IL solvent. 

Lipase PS-C Il-catalyzed resolution of a bulky substrate at high temperatures up to 120°C in organic solvent (a) Ema, T. Kageyama, M. Korenaga, T. Sakai, T. Tetrahedron Asymm. 

Lipase is an enzyme which catalyzes the hydrolysis of fatty acid esters normally in an aqueous environment in living systems. However, hpases are sometimes stable in organic solvents and can be used as catalyst for esterifications and transesterifications. By utihzing such catalytic specificities of lipase, functional aliphatic polyesters have been synthesized by various polymerization modes. Typical reaction types of hpase-catalyzed polymerization leading to polyesters are summarized in Scheme 1. Lipase-catalyzed polymerizations also produced polycarbonates and polyphosphates. 

Several enzymes like lipases, esterases, and dehydrogenases have been active in hydrophobic environments. Thermodynamic water activity is a good predictor of the optimal hydration conditions for catalytic activity [51]. Enzyme preparation can be equilibrated at a specific water activity before the reaction [52]. When water concentration is very low, enzyme is suspended in the solid state in the water-immiscible organic solvent [46]. Enzymes are easily recovered after the reaction by the method of filtration. 

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