Lipase-mediated epoxidation of the cyclic monoterpene limonene to limonene oxide and limonene dioxide

S.1056-1060 Limonene is an industrially interesting monoterpene that accumulates in bulk quantities as by-product of the fruit juice industry. The corresponding epoxides are versatile synthetic intermediates and additives for the chemical industry. Due to a number of disadvantages of classical chemi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Zeitschrift für Naturforschung B
Main Authors: Wiemann, Lars O., Faltl, C., Sieber, V.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2012
Subjects:
660
546
Online Access:https://publica.fraunhofer.de/handle/publica/230341
https://doi.org/10.5560/ZNB.2012-0167
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Summary:S.1056-1060 Limonene is an industrially interesting monoterpene that accumulates in bulk quantities as by-product of the fruit juice industry. The corresponding epoxides are versatile synthetic intermediates and additives for the chemical industry. Due to a number of disadvantages of classical chemical epoxidation including serious safety issues and unwanted side-reactions, we here used a mild lipase-catalyzed chemo-enzymatic epoxidation system, with either free or different immobilized forms of Candida antarctica lipase B. Full limonene conversion (> 98%) was easily achieved at 40 degrees C within less than 24 h. The enzymatic activities in the formation of limonene monoxide significantly varied from either 1-3.4 U/mg(biocatalyst) at r. t. or from 1.7-4.9 U/mg(biocatalyst) at 40 degrees C. For the first time we showed that it is possible to generate high amounts of limonene dioxide (similar to 30% with CalB on carrier 350 at 40 degrees C) using this mild lipase-mediated epoxidation method. Enzyme activities and limonene dioxide yields strongly depend on the nature of the selected enzyme carrier, the immobilization method and the reaction temperature. 67 Nr.10