Supercritical carbon dioxide as a medium for enzymatically catalyzed reaction

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the results and observations on the enzymatic synthesis of oleyl oleate—a synthetic analogue of jojoba oil—in supercritical carbon dioxide. The enzymatic esterification of oleic acid and oleyl alcohol to obtain oleyl oleate is catalyzed by a commercially available immobilized lipase from Rhizomucor miehei . As solvents, carbon dioxide and liquid n-butane are used. Reactions are performed in a batch and in continuously operating high pressure reactors. There is considerable difference in the system behavior at high pressure batch and continuous performance. The chapter describes the comparison between a batch and continuous system at supercritical conditions. In the batch system, pressure influence on initial reaction rates is different at lower and at higher temperatures. In the continuous system, the extraction of water from enzyme beads is an overriding process at higher pressures.