Surfactant enhancement of (S)-naproxen ester productivity from racemic naproxen by lipase in isooctane.

In the enantioselective esterification of racemic Naproxen with trimethylsilyl methanol in isooctane by Candida cylindracea lipase, improvements in (S)-naproxen ester productivity and enzyme selectivity were demonstrated by adding bis(2-ethylhexyl) sodium sulfosuccinate (AOT) as the best surfactant. The effect of water content on the enhancement of enzyme activity was elucidated from the reduced adsorption of surfactant molecules on the lipase. A competitive inhibition by the alcohol and a noncompetitive inhibition by the surfactant to the enzyme were found from the kinetic analysis. By using a two-phase extraction, a complete separation of the surfactant from the organic solution was obtained.