Enantioselective esterification of (R,S)-flurbiprofen catalyzed by lipase in ionic liquid

Abstract

The enantioselective esterification of (R,S)-flurbiprofen catalyzed by Candida sp. lipase (CSL) (a cheap commercial lipase) was successfully conducted in ionic liquid (IL). The effects of the type of IL, alcohol, temperature, substrate molar ratio and enzyme concentration were investigated. Under optimal conditions (flurbiprofen (0.2 mmol), methanol (2 mmol), CSL (4 mg/mL), [BMIM][PF6] (5 mL), 50°C), CSL exhibited a satisfying enzyme performance (average enzyme activity, 261.5 μmol/g/h; E value, 20.3). The enzymatic esterification can be scaled up easily. Furthermore, CSL exhibited only a slight decrease in catalytic performance after six repetitions. This result demonstrated that this mild method has high potential for industrial production.