Issue 9, 2012

Enzymatic synthesis of sugar fatty acid esters in ionic liquids

Abstract

Sugar fatty acid esters are nonionic biosurfactants widely used in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Ionic liquids (ILs) have shown great potential as an alternative reaction medium to conventional organic solvents for their enzymatic synthesis, promoting a significant enhancement in sugar solubility, enzymatic reactivity and regioselectivity. In this perspective, we summarize the advances in the use of ILs as a solvent for sugar dissolution and lipase-catalyzed sugar ester synthesis, review the recent achievements in designing enzyme-compatible ILs for the synthesis, and discuss the challenges that the research on this topic is facing. Among the advanced ILs, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) merit a serious consideration as a potential reaction medium for this application.

Graphical abstract: Enzymatic synthesis of sugar fatty acid esters in ionic liquids

Article information

Article type
Perspective
Submitted
24 Feb 2012
Accepted
15 Mar 2012
First published
20 Mar 2012

Catal. Sci. Technol., 2012,2, 1767-1775

Enzymatic synthesis of sugar fatty acid esters in ionic liquids

Z. Yang and Z. Huang, Catal. Sci. Technol., 2012, 2, 1767 DOI: 10.1039/C2CY20109G

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