Lipase-catalyzed synthesis of glycerol carbonate from renewable glycerol and dimethyl carbonate through transesterification

• Published in: Journal of Molecular Catalysis B: Enzymatic
• Main Authors: Kim, Sang Cheol, Kim, Yong Hwan, Lee, Hyuk, Yoon, Do Young, Song, Bong Keun
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV 2016
• Subjects: Candida antarctica; Glycerol; Glycerol carbonate; Lipase; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://scholarworks.unist.ac.kr/handle/201301/20395; http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1381117707001622; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcatb.2007.08.007

Glycerol carbonate is a key multifunctional compound employed as solvent, additive, monomer, and chemical intermediate. Enzymatic synthesis of glycerol carbonate from renewable starting materials (glycerol and dimethyl carbonate) was successfully achieved by-immobilized lipase from Candida antarctica (CALB, Novozym 435). Addition of molecular sieves as scavenger for the removal of methanol, which was generated from dimethyl carbonate during the reaction, accelerated a reaction rate. After the optimization, the equimolar use of glycerol and dimethyl carbonate in the Novozym 435-catalyzed reaction yielded a glycerol carbonate with almost quantitative yield. The resulting glycerol carbonate from 60 degrees C reaction has shown the low enantiomeric excess (13% ee) as configuration of (R)-enantiomer. close