USE OF SALT HYDRATES TO BUFFER OPTIMAL WATER LEVEL DURING LIPASE CATALYZED SYNTHESIS IN ORGANIC MEDIA - A PRACTICAL PROCEDURE FOR ORGANIC CHEMISTS

Enzyme catalysed reactions in mainly organic media depend very much on the amount of water in the system. We have shown that addition of appropriate solid salt hydrates to the reaction mixture is a simple and convenient method to obtain optimal water level conditions throughout the reaction. As a model reaction the esterification of butanoic acid with butanol catalysed by lipase from Candida rugosa was chosen. Variations in the amount of enzyme, in the solvent and in the concentration of reactants were made.