Premium
Enzymatic synthesis of sorbitan esters using a low‐boiling‐point azeotrope as a reaction solvent
Author(s) -
Sarney Douglas B.,
Barnard Mark J.,
Virto Mailo,
Vulfson Evgeny N.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0290(19970520)54:4<351::aid-bit8>3.0.co;2-j
Subject(s) - azeotrope , chemistry , sorbitan , lipase , organic chemistry , azeotropic distillation , chromatography , distillation , boiling point , boiling , solvent , butanol , ethanol , enzyme , fatty acid , fatty acid ester
Sorbitan esters were prepared by controlled dehydration of sorbitol followed by lipase‐catalyzed esterification of the resulting “sorbitan.” The reaction was carried out in azeotropic mixtures of tert‐butanol/n‐hexane. A partial phase diagram to determine the temperature required for the distillation of the azeotrope at a given ratio of the solvents was constructed. The effect of varying concentrations of the two solvents on the rate of esterification and the monoester/diester ratio of the final product was investigated in detail. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 54: 351–356, 1997.