Pure Appl. Chem., 2005, Vol. 77, No. 1, pp. 209-226
doi:10.1351/pac200577010209
Biocatalytic routes toward pharmaceutically important precursors and novel polymeric systems*
Sunil K. Sharma1,2,3,‡, Mofazzal Husain1, Rajesh Kumar2,3, Lynne A. Samuelson4, Jayant Kumar3, Arthur C. Watterson2, and Virinder S. Parmar1
1Bioorganic Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi 110 007, India; 2INSET, Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA 01854, USA; 3Center for Advanced Materials, Departments of Chemistry and Physics, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA 01854, USA; 4Natick Soldier Center, U.S. Army Soldier and Biological Chemical Command, Kansas Street, Natick, MA 01760, USA
Abstract:
The synthetic potential of enzymes related to organic synthesis has been applied profusely, especially since the introduction of their use in organic solvents. Enzymes offer the opportunity to carry out highly chemo-, regio-, and enantioselective transformations. The use of enzymes in the synthetic sequence provides unique advantages of efficiency and environmental friendliness. Owing to their low cost and applicability to a broad range of substrates, lipases have become the most versatile class of biocatalysts in organic synthesis. We have screened a battery of lipases to carry out highly selective reactions for the synthesis of a wide range of organic compounds and polymeric materials.
Keywords: acylation; catalysis; deacylation; lipase; polymerization; polyphenolics; selectivity.
*Paper based on a presentation at the 24th International Symposium on the Chemistry of Natural Products and the 4th International Congress on Biodiversity, held jointly in Delhi, India, 26-31 January 2004. Other presentations are published in this issue,
pp. 1-344.
