Enantioselective Transesterification Research Articles

Intrinsic Kinetics Resolution of an Enantioselective Transesterification Catalyzed with the Immobilized Enzyme Novozym435

Intrinsic Kinetics Resolution of an Enantioselective Transesterification Catalyzed with the Immobilized Enzyme <i>Novozym435</i>

Encapsulation of lipase in zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 induced by polyethyleneimine to form a honeycomb structure with enhanced activity

Embedding an enzyme in the metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) gives good protection to the fragile enzyme. However, this may also restrain the enzyme activity because of the decreased substrate accessibility. Encapsulation of lipase AK from Pseudomonas fluorescens for preparing the enzyme-MOF composite (AK@ZIF-8-PEI) was performed through a new strategy based on polyethyleneimine and enzyme induced in-situ growth of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8). Characterizations indicate that AK@ZIF-8-PEI has a honeycomb structure and the hierarchical porosity formed during the preparation, which provides adequate mass transfer channels for catalytic applications. Activity evaluation shows that specific activity of AK@ZIF-8-PEI is 8-fold than the commercial lipase powder. AK@ZIF-8-PEI is demonstrated as an efficient catalyst in kinetic resolution of α-naphthol enantiomers through enantioselective transesterification. Within 12 h, the conversion and substrate enantiomeric excess (ees) reaches 49.8 % and 96.4 %, achieving an improved resolution than previous researches.

Polyethyleneimine-MOF composite as a support for immobilization of lipase with enhanced activity in kinetic resolution

Lipase PS from Pseudomonas cepacia was steadily immobilized on a new support prepared with metal-organic framework (MOF) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) through a PEI-boosted strategy (PS@MOF-5-PEI). Evaluated by the enantioselective transesterification reaction of racemic 1-(4-(trifluoromethyl) phenyl) ethanol (TFMP) with vinyl acetate, PS@MOF-5-PEI expressed more than 10 times of increase in specific activity (U/mg protein) compared with free lipase PS. PS@MOF-5-PEI had an enhanced enzyme-substrate affinity and catalytic efficiency than free lipase PS, as supported by a lower apparent Km value (7.3 vs 11.3 mM) and an increased Vmax/Km value (0.38 vs 0.05 min−1), respectively. Under the optimal conditions involving 45 °C, substrate ratio of 1:18, enzyme dosage of 20 mg and reaction time of 60 min, the ees of 99.8% and c of 50.1% for kinetic resolution of TFMP enantiomers were achieved with PS@MOF-5-PEI, which can be recycled for 10 times without significant loss in activity and with enantioselectivity well maintained.

Synthesis of a Lignin-Enhanced Graphene Aerogel for Lipase Immobilization.

A novel lignin-enhanced graphene aerogel (LGA) was prepared by one-step hydrothermal synthesis, and lipase from Pseudomonas sp. (PSL) was immobilized on LGA successfully by interfacial activation. The catalytic activity and enantioselectivity of LGA-PSL for the preparation of (S)-2-octanol by an enantioselective transesterification were improved obviously. The characterization of LGA and LGA-PSL was performed. X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy demonstrated the formation of numerous electrostatic and hydrogen bonds between lignin and graphene in the aerogel structure. In addition, the specific surface area pore size analyzer (BET) test proved that the introduction of lignin significantly increased the specific surface area and pore size of the aerogel material, which improved the immobilization efficiency of lipase in the aerogel. The introduction of lignin has changed the original lamellar structure of the graphene oxide (GO) aerogels. The lignin cross-linked with the GO lamellae through hydrogen bonding, causing a porous structure to form between the original lamellae, thus increasing their specific surface area. The immobilized lipase (LGA-PSL) was used for the preparation of (S)-2-octanol by an enantioselective transesterification, and the reaction conditions for this enzymatic transesterification had been optimized. LGA-PSL exhibited a high catalytic performance and could be reused four times in this reaction. Based on these results, LGA as an immobilization carrier had potential applications in the industrial application of lipase.

Enantioselective transesterification of a propargyl tertiary alcohol by Candida antarctica lipase A: A reaction medium engineering approach

Lipase A from Candida antarctica (CAL-A) is widely known to accept bulky substrates, such as tertiary alcohols. These compounds are important building blocks in organic synthesis processes, and they are found in many natural products. Under an organic medium and in the presence of an acyl donor, CAL-A can act as a chiral catalyst in the kinetic resolution (KR) of these substrates via an enantioselective transesterification reaction. Herein, we report a new protocol developed for the KR of the propargyl tertiary alcohol 2-phenyl-3-butyn-2-ol ((rac)-1) catalyzed by CAL-A. A reaction medium engineering study was performed by varying the following conditions involved in the system: temperature, solvent, acyl donor, acyl donor concentration, and enzyme loading. After optimization, we developed a more efficient system with a lower enzyme/substrate ratio using a commercially available and immobilized wild-type CAL-A.

Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Optically Active Alcohols Possessing 1,2,3,4-Tetrahydroquinoline Moiety Employing Lipases or Variants of the Acyltransferase from Mycobacterium smegmatis

The enzymatic kinetic resolution (EKR) of racemic alcohols or esters is a broadly recognized methodology for the preparation of these compounds in optically active form. Although EKR approaches have been developed for the enantioselective transesterification of a vast number of secondary alcohols or hydrolysis of their respective esters, to date, there is no report of bio- or chemo-catalytic asymmetric synthesis of non-racemic alcohols possessing 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline moiety, which are valuable building blocks for the pharmaceutical industry. In this work, the kinetic resolution of a set of racemic 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline-propan-2-ols was successfully carried out in neat organic solvents (in the case of CAL-B and BCL) or in water (in the case of MsAcT single variants) using immobilized lipases from Candida antarctica type B (CAL-B) and Burkholderia cepacia (BCL) or engineered acyltransferase variants from Mycobacterium smegmatis (MsAcT) as the biocatalysts and vinyl acetate as irreversible acyl donor, yielding enantiomerically enriched (S)-alcohols and the corresponding (R)-acetates with E-values up to 328 and excellent optical purities (&gt;99% ee). In general, higher ee-values were observed in the reactions catalyzed by lipases; however, the rates of the reactions were significantly better in the case of MsAcT-catalyzed enantioselective transesterifications. Interestingly, we have experimentally proved that enantiomerically enriched 1-(7-nitro-3,4-dihydroquinolin-1(2H)-yl)propan-2-ol undergoes spontaneous amplification of optical purity under achiral chromatographic conditions.

Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Optically Active Ethereal Analog of iso-Moramide-A Novel Potentially Powerful Analgesic †.

To develop potent and safer analgesics, we designed and synthesized a novel enantiomerically enriched ethereal analog of (R)-iso-moramide, namely 2-[(2R)-2-(morpholin-4-yl)propoxy]-2,2-diphenyl-1-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)ethan-1-one. The titled active agent can potentially serve as a powerful synthetic opiate with an improved affinity and selectivity toward opioid receptors (ORs). This hypothesis was postulated based on docking studies regarding the respective complexes between the designed ligand and µ-OR, δ-OR, and κ-OR. The key step of the elaborated asymmetric synthesis of novel analog involves lipase-catalyzed kinetic resolution of racemic 1-(morpholin-4-yl)propan-2-ol, which was accomplished on a 10 g scale via an enantioselective transesterification employing vinyl acetate as an irreversible acyl donor in tert-butyl methyl ether (MTBE) as the co-solvent. Next, the obtained homochiral (S)-(+)-morpholino-alcohol (>99% ee) was functionalized into corresponding chloro-derivative using thionyl chloride (SOCl2) or the Appel reaction conditions. Further transformation with N-diphenylacetyl-1-pyrrolidine under phase-transfer catalysis (PTC) conditions using O2-saturated DMSO/NaOH mixture as an oxidant furnished the desired levorotatory isomer of the title product isolated in 26% total yield after three steps, and with 89% ee. The absolute configuration of the key-intermediate of (R)-(–)-iso-moramide was determined using a modified form of Mosher’s methodology. The preparation of the optically active dextrorotatory isomer of the titled product (87% ee) was carried out essentially by the same route, utilizing (R)-(–)-1-(morpholin-4-yl)propan-2-ol (98% ee) as a key intermediate. The spectroscopic characterization of the ethereal analog of iso-moramide and the enantioselective retention relationship of its enantiomers using HPLC on the cellulose-based chiral stationary phase were performed. Moreover, as a proof-of-principle, single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the synthesized 2-[(2R)-2-(morpholin-4-yl)propoxy]-2,2-diphenyl-1-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)ethan-1-one is reported.

Lipase-Catalysed Enzymatic Kinetic Resolution of Aromatic Morita-Baylis-Hillman Derivatives by Hydrolysis and Transesterification.

Acylated Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) adducts were synthesised and subjected to enzymatic kinetic resolution (EKR) by hydrolysis employing various lipase enzymes: from P. fluorescens, P. cepacia (PCL), C. antarctica A (CAL-A), C. antarctica B (CAL-B) and Novozyme 435. In a number of instances enantiopure Morita-Baylis-Hillman acetates or butyrates and their corresponding hydrolysed MBH adducts were obtained with ee values of >90 %, at ca. 50 % conversion, corresponding to enantiomeric ratio (E) values of >200. Enantioselective transesterification reactions on MBH adducts was achieved using acyl anhydrides in THF or the greener organic solvent 2-MeTHF in the presence of CAL-A. This is the first report of successful lipase-catalysed EKR of aromatic MBH adducts by transesterification in organic medium.

Lipase from pseudomonas cepacia immobilized into ZIF-8 as bio-catalyst for enantioselective hydrolysis and transesterification

Enzyme immobilization in MOFs offers retained enzyme integrity and activity, enhanced stability, and reduced leaching. In this work, Pseudomonas cepacia lipase (PCL) was successfully immobilized into the Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) by physical adsorption. The amounts of PCL in the immobilized enzyme (PCL@ZIF-8) was determined to be 16.7 % (200.5 mg PCL/g ZIF-8). Furthermore, the immobilized enzyme was applied as efficient bio-catalyst for enantioselective hydrolysis of 2-phenylpropionic acid (2-PPA) ester enantiomers and enantioselective transesterification of 1-phenylethanol enantiomers. The enzymatic activity of the immobilized enzyme was three times more than that of free PCL in enantioselective hydrolysis system, and the enantiomeric excess was maintained above 99 %. There was no significant difference in enzyme activity between immobilized PCL and free PCL in transesterification system. In addition, the immobilized enzyme showed good reusability in both hydrolysis (30.57 % of initial activity, 4 cycle) and transesterification reaction systems (64.38 % of initial activity, 6 cycle).

Experiment and simulation on kinetic resolution of (R,S)-2-chloromandelic acid by enzymatic transesterification.

Optically pure 2-chloromandelic acid (ClMA) is a very important chiral drug intermediate for synthesis of (S)-clopidogrel, belonging to the platelet aggregation inhibitor. Enantioselective resolution of (R,S)-2-chloromandelic acid was carried out in organic solvent through irreversible transesterification catalyzed by lipase AK with vinyl acetate acting as the acyl donor. Effects of various conditions on enantioselectivity and activity of lipase were investigated, including organic solvents, temperature, water content, substrate ratio, enzyme loading, and reaction time. Based on homogeneous reaction and Ping-Pong bi-bi mechanism, a quantitative model was constructed to simulate and optimize the reaction process. Under the optimal conditions, excellent results were obtained with high conversion of (R)-2-ClMA (c R , ≥98.85%) and large enantiomeric excess of substrate (ee s , ≥98.15%). There is a good agreement between predicted values and experiment data, which indicates that the established method is a powerful tool for optimization of the enantioselective transesterification process for enantiomers separation.

A facile lipase-catalyzed KR approach toward enantiomerically enriched homopropargyl alcohols

Compounds possessing propargylic (prop-2-ynylic) system are very important building blocks for organic chemistry. Among them, preparation of enantiomeric homopropargyl alcohols (but-3-yn-1-ols) constitutes a key-challenge for asymmetric synthesis and thus drawn tremendous attention from the synthetic community in the last few decades. In this work, the catalytic performance of a set of commercial lipases has been investigated for enantioselective transesterification of 1-phenylhomopropargylic alcohols under kinetically–controlled conditions. Lipase from Burckholderia cepacia (BCL) immobilized either on ceramic (Amano PS-C II) or diatomaceous earth (Amano PS-IM) turned out to be the most active and enantioselective enzyme preparations (E ≫ 500) furnishing both resolution products of the racemic 1-phenylbut-3-yn-1-ol in highly enantiomerically enriched form (up > 99% ee). Variable reaction parameters, such as the acyl-group donor reagent as well as solvent, were additionally screened to establish their impact on the stereochemical outcome. For optimal biocatalytic systems established with model substrate, the enzymatic transformations were extended toward preparative-scale KR of 8 other differently para-phenyl-substituted homopropargylic sec-alcohols, which resulted in the synthesis of (S)-alcohols (96–100% ee) and the respective (R)-acetates (92–100% ee) in 19–44% yield, accordingly. Additionally, the crystal structure of (1R)-1-(4-nitrophenyl)but-3-yn-1-yl acetate has been evaluated for the first time and helped to assess stereopreference of the studied BCL.

Synthesis and olfactory properties of Phantolide analogues in racemic and optically active forms

AbstractThe racemates, (+)‐ and (–)‐enantiomers, of eight novel Phantolide analogues, which are non‐natural musk odorants, were synthesized. The key step of the asymmetric synthesis was the lipase‐catalysed enantioselective transesterification of a racemic primary alcohol, and the resultant two enantiomers of the primary alcohol were used as intermediates for further transformations. The odour profiles of all of the synthesized Phantolide analogues were evaluated. Some interesting findings on the odour profiles of the analogues are reported here.

Lipase-catalyzed kinetic resolution approach toward enantiomerically enriched 1-(β-hydroxypropyl)indoles

In a route towards enantiomerically enriched 1-(β-hydroxypropyl)indoles, which are potentially useful building blocks for high value-added chemicals synthesis, a kinetic resolution approach by means of lipase-catalyzed enantioselective acylation as well as hydrolysis/methanolysis has been elaborated for the first time. The enzymatic resolution of chiral N-substituted indole-based sec-alcohols was successfully accomplished, yielding both enantiomeric forms of the employed derivatives with up to >99% enantiomeric purity via an enantioselective transesterification under mild reaction conditions. The most selective resolutions were obtained using fungal (CAL-B and TLL) and bacterial (PFL and BCL) lipases and vinyl acetate as the acyl group donor. The synthetic protocol described herein is very simple, user-friendly and efficient, thus paving the way for future access towards more complex compounds of this type. The absolute configurations of novel enantiomeric derivatives, and thus stereoselectivity of the described enzymatic reactions were confirmed by application of CDA-based NMR methodology and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.

Ionic Liquid Droplet Microreactor for Catalysis Reactions Not at Equilibrium.

We develop a novel strategy to more effectively and controllably process continuous enzymatic or homogeneous catalysis reactions based on nonaqueous Pickering emulsions. A key element of this strategy is "bottom-up" construction of a macroscale continuous flow reaction system through packing catalyst-containing micron-sized ionic liquid (IL) droplet in oil in a column reactor. Due to the continuous influx of reactants into the droplet microreactors and the continuous release of products from the droplet microreactors, catalysis reactions in such a system can take place without limitations arising from establishment of the reaction equilibrium and catalyst separation, inherent in conventional batch reactions. As proof of the concept, enzymatic enantioselective trans-esterification and CuI-catalyzed cycloaddition reactions using this IL droplet-based flow system both exhibit 8 to 25-fold enhancement in catalysis efficiency compared to their batch counterparts, and a durability of at least 4000 h for the enantioselective trans-esterification of 1-phenylethyl alcohol, otherwise unattainable in their batch counterparts. We further establish a theoretical model for such a catalysis system working under nonequilibrium conditions, which not only supports the experimental results but also helps to predict reaction progress at a microscale level. Being operationally simple, efficient, and adaptive, this strategy provides an unprecedented platform for practical applications of enzymes and homogeneous catalysts even at a controllable level.

Lipase-catalyzed enantioselective transesterification of prochiral 1-((1,3-dihydroxypropan-2-yloxy)methyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-dione in ionic liquids.

The application of ionic liquids as solvents for transesterification of prochiral pirymidine acyclonucleoside using lipase (EC 3.1.1.3) Amano PS from Burkholderia cepacia (BCL) is reported. The effect of using medium reaction, acyl group donor, and temperature on the activity and enantioselectivity of BCL was studied. From the investigated ionic solvents, the hydrophobic ionic liquid [BMIM]PF6 ] was the preferred medium for enzymatic reactions. However, the best result was obtained in the mixture [BMIM][PF6 ]:TBME (1:1v/v) at 50°C. Enzyme activity and selectivity in [BMIM][PF6 ]:TBME (1:1v/v) was slightly higher in than in conventional organic solvents (for example, TBME), and in this condition, good activity and enantioselectivity were associated with unique properties of ionic liquid such as hydrophobicity and high polarity. Independently of solvents, monester of (R)-configuration was obtained in excess. Under optimal conditions, desymmetrization of the prochiral compound using different acyl donors was performed. If vinyl butyrate was used as the acylating agent, BCL completely selectively acylated enantiotopic hydroxyl groups.

Optical enrichment in enzyme-catalyzed resolution of 1-aryl-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propanediols

Novozym® 435 efficiently catalyzed the chemo-, regio-, and enantioselective transesterification of 1-aryl-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propanediols in different organic solvents with vinyl acetate as the acetyl donor at room temperature. This enzyme-catalyzed chemical transformation method provides an efficient route for optically enriched propanediol derivatives.

Highly efficient resolution of N-hydroxymethyl vince lactam by solvent stable lipase YCJ01

Both optically pure enantiomers of N-hydroxymethyl vince lactam are the key synthons for some important antiviral drugs. The high enantioselective transesterification of N-hydroxymethyl vince lactam was catalyzed by the lipase from Burkholderia ambifaria YCJ01 using vinyl acetate as the acyl donor. Under the optimized conditions, an efficient resolution of N-hydroxymethyl vince lactam in high substrate concentration (300mM; 41.7g/L) was obtained with nearly theoretical conversion yield of 50.1%, eep of 99% and ees of 99%. Strikingly, the highest enantioselectivity (E>900) and dramatic increase of the lipase activity towards N-hydroxymethyl vince lactam were observed in a binary solvent system with hexane and MTBE (v/v=1:9). The high substrate tolerance and enantioselectivity of lipase YCJ01 showed significant benefit in the practical resolution of racemic N-hydroxymethyl vince lactam. Additionally, the high enantiopreference of lipase YCJ01 towards (−)-N-hydroxymethyl vince lactam was also rationalized through molecular docking.

Highly Productive and Enantioselective Enzyme Catalysis under Continuous Supported Liquid-Liquid Conditions Using a Hybrid Monolithic Bioreactor.

Enzyme-containing ionic liquids (ILs) were immobilized in cellulose-2.5-acetate microbeads particles embedded in a porous monolithic polyurethane matrix. This bioreactor was used under continuous liquid-liquid conditions by dissolving the substrates in a nonpolar organic phase immiscible with the ILs, thereby creating a biphasic system. Lipases (candida antarctica lipase B, CALB, candida rugosa lipase, CRL) were used to catalyze the enantioselective transesterification of racemic (R,S)-1-phenylethanol with vinyl butyrate and vinyl acetate, the esterification of (+/-)-2-isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexanol with propionic anhydride and the amidation of (R,S)-1-phenylethylamine with ethyl methoxyacetate. With this unique setup, very high productivities, that is, turnover numbers (TONs) up to 5.1×106 and space-time yields (STYs) up to 28 g product L-1 h-1 , exceeding the corresponding values for batch-type reactions by a factor of 3100 and 40, respectively, were achieved while maintaining or even enhancing enantioselectivity compared to batch reactions via kinetic resolution. To our best knowledge, this is the first continuously operated bioreactor using supported liquid-liquid conditions that shows these features in the synthesis of chiral esters and amides.

Covalently immobilized lipase on aminoalkyl-, carboxy- and hydroxy-multi-wall carbon nanotubes in the enantioselective synthesis of Solketal esters

Aiming at the preparation of efficient, stable on storage and recyclable nanobiocatalysts for enantioselective transesterification, alkaline lipase from Pseudomonas fluorescens was covalently immobilized (up to 8.5wt.%) on functionalized multi-wall carbon nanotubes (f-MWCNTs). f-MWCNTs were synthesized via: (a) (2+1)-cycloaddition of a nitrene to the C-sp2 nanotube walls (3.2mmolg−1, a novel synthetic approach) and, (b) oxidative treatments, i.e. Fenton reagent (3.5mmolg−1) and nitrating mixture (2.5mmolg−1), yielding aminoalkyl-, hydroxyl- and carboxyl-MWCNTs, respectively. Amino- and epoxy- functionalized mesoporous silica (f-SBA-15) were used as the reference supports. Transesterification of vinyl n-butyrate by racemic Solketal with a chromatographically (GC) traced kinetics was selected as the model reaction. The studies revealed that different chemical functionalization of morphologically identical nanotube supports led to various enzyme loadings, catalytic activities and enantioselectivities. MWCNT-NH2-based nanobiocatalyst was found to be the most active composite among all of the tested systems (yield 20%, t=0.5h, 1321Ug−1), i.e. 12 times more active than the native enzyme. In turn, lipase immobilized on MWCNT-COOH emerged as the most enantioselective system (ex aequo with SBA-NH2) (eeR=74%, t=0.5h at yield of 3–5%). The activity of the MWCNT-NH2-based nanobiocatalyst after 8 cycles of transesterification dropped to 60% of its initial value, whereas for SBA-NH2-based composite remained unchanged. Importantly, stability on storage was fully maintained for all MWCNT-based nanobiocatalysts or even ‘extra-enhanced’ for MWCNT-OH.

Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Proxyphylline Enantiomers.

A novel synthetic route for preparation of proxyphylline enantiomers using a kinetic resolution (KR) procedure as the key step is presented. The reactions were catalyzed by immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B in acetonitrile. Three types of reactions were examined: (i) enantioselective transesterification of racemic proxyphylline with vinyl acetate as well as (ii) hydrolysis and (iii) methanolysis of its esters. The influence of reaction conditions on the substrate conversion and enantiomeric purity of the products were investigated. Studies on analytical scale reactions revealed that the titled API enantiomers could be successfully obtained with excellent enantiomeric excess (up to >99% ee). The process was easily conducted on a 5 g scale at 100 g/L. In a preparative-scale reaction, unreacted (S)-(+)-butanoate (97% ee) and (R)-(-)-alcohol (96% ee) were obtained after 2 days in yields of 45% and 46%, respectively. When the reaction time was extended to 6 days, (S)-(+)-butanoate was isolated in >99% ee and acceptable high enantioselectivity (E = 90). Importantly, the KR's products could be conveniently isolated by exploiting varying solubility of the ester/alcohol in acetonitrile at room temperature. In addition, a chiral preference of the CAL-B active site for the R-enantiomer was rationalized by in sillico docking studies.