Optimization of Chiral Resolution of (+/-)-1-Phenylethanol by Statistical Methods

• Published in: International Journal of Chemical Reactor Engineering
• Main Authors: Yadav, Ganapati D., Sontakke, Jyoti B.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Walter de Gruyter GmbH 2011
• Subjects: General Chemical Engineering; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/1542-6580.2656; http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/ijcre.2011.9.issue-1/1542-6580.2656/1542-6580.2656.xml

Optically active 1-phenylethanol is used as a chiral building block and synthetic intermediate in pharmaceutical and fine-chemical industries. Lipase - catalyzed kinetic resolution of (R,S)-1-phenylethanol with vinyl acetate as an acyl donor and Candida antarctica immobilized lipase as a biocatalyst in a batch reactor was optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Four-factor-five-level central composite rotatable design (CCRD) was employed to evaluate the effect of synthesis parameters such as speed of agitation, enzyme loading, temperature and acyl donor/alcohol molar ratio, on conversion, enantiomeric excess (ee), enantioselectivity and initial rate. Optimum reaction conditions obtained were; mole ratio of acyl donor: ester of 2:1, temperature of 42.5 °C, catalyst loading of 1.6x10 -3 g.cm -3 and speed of agitation of 336 rpm. Analysis of variance was performed to determine significantly affecting variables and interactions between the process parameters.