Continuous production and simultaneous precipitation of a dipeptide in a reversed micellar membrane reactor

The dipeptide AcPheLeuNH(2) was continuously synthesized from acetyl phenyl alanine ethyl ester (AMPheOEt) and leucinamide (LeuNH(2)) by alpha-chymotry psin encapsulated in TTAB/heptane/octanol reversed micelles in a ceramic me mbrane reactor. Simultaneous separation of the dipeptide was achieved by se lective precipitation. Apart from the dipeptide, two by-products resulting from the hydrolysis and the transesterification of AcPheOEt with the cosolv ent octanol were obtained. The dipeptide was recovered with high purity (hi gher than 92%) due to precipitation from the complex reaction medium. The i nfluence of the concentration of the two substrates in performance paramete rs of the continuous reactor such as productivity yields, conversion degree , selectivity, and operational stability was investigated The integration o f catalysis and separation in a ceramic membrane reactor led to a one-step process for the production of a dipeptide with a high purity. (C) 1999 Else vier Science Inc. All rights reserved.