POLAR SUBSTRATES FOR ENZYMATIC-REACTIONS IN SUPERCRITICAL CO2 - HOW TO OVERCOME THE SOLUBILITY LIMITATION

The use of supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO2), as a reactional mediu m for enzymatic reaction, is greatly impeded by the difficulty of usin g relatively polar substrates. From previous works of the literature a bout enzymology in organic solvents, we extended to supercritical CO2 two techniques: use of complexation with phenylboronic acid (PBAC) and immobilization of polar substrate on silica gel. Their feasibility wa s demonstrated through the esterification of oleic acid with glycerol or D-fructose. Significant conversion was observed in both cases, and although mechanisms are not yet elucidated in the case of silica gel a dsorption, these first results bring new momentum to supercritical flu id technology applied to enzymatic synthesis.