In situ separation of the chiral target compound (S)-2-pentanol in biocatalytic reactive distillation

In situ separation of a chiral target compound is realized for the first time as distillate on top of an integrated biocatalytic batch reactive distillation column. The applied reaction system is the racemic resolution of (R/S)-2-pentanol in a transesterification with propyl butyrate, which is catalyzed by immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B (Novozym435). Biocatalyst integration is realized in baskets of wire gauze catalytic packings as column internals. The equilibrium limited reaction is shifted to the product side by fractional distillation of low boiling propanol and the target compound (S)-2-pentanol. Increased molar fractions up to x(S)-2-PeOH = 65 ± 4% with an enantiomeric excess of 90 ± 4% and 51 ± 3% overall conversion are reached for (S)-2-pentanol. Feasibility of the reaction system is investigated in our preselection tool. This tool is developed to evaluate predefined operation conditions in the column setup for transesterification reactions based on criteria regarding biocatalyst stability and boiling point differences between the reactants. The subsequently selected reaction of (R/S)-2-pentanol with propyl butyrate is successfully carried out in a batch reactive distillation column with in situ separation of our target compound (S)-2-pentanol. In contrast to current examples in the literature, this clearly demonstrates the possibility of one-pot target compound isolation within chiral synthesis applying biocatalytic reactive distillation.

DDC Class

570: Biowissenschaften, Biologie

620: Ingenieurwissenschaften

More Funding Information

Funding by the German Research Association (DFG LI 899/8-3 and SM 82/9-3) to reach the presented results.

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In situ separation of the chiral target compound (S)-2-pentanol in biocatalytic reactive distillation