Biocatalysis at Extreme Temperatures: Enantioselective Synthesis of both Enantiomers of Mandelic Acid by Transesterification Catalyzed by a Thermophilic Lipase in Ionic Liquids at 120 °C

The use of biocatalysts in organic chemistry for catalyzing chemo-, regio- and stereoselective transformations has become an usual tool in the last years, both at lab and industrial scale. This is not only because of their exquisite precision, but also due to the inherent increase in the process sustainability. Nevertheless, most of the interesting industrial reactions involve water-insoluble substrates, so the use of (generally not green) organic solvents is generally required. Although lipases are capable of maintaining their catalytic precision working in those solvents, reactions are usually very slow and consequently not very appropriate for industrial purposes. Increasing reaction temperature would accelerate the reaction rate, but this should require the use of lipases from thermophiles, which tend to be more enantioselective at lower temperatures, as they are more rigid than those from mesophiles. Therefore, the ideal scenario would require a thermophilic lipase capable of retaining high enantioselectivity at high temperatures. In this paper, we describe the use of lipase from Geobacillus thermocatenolatus as catalyst in the ethanolysis of racemic 2-(butyryloxy)-2-phenylacetic to furnish both enantiomers of mandelic acid, an useful intermediate in the synthesis of many drugs and active products. The catalytic performance at high temperature in a conventional organic solvent (isooctane) and four imidazolium-based ionic liquids was assessed. The best results were obtained using 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMIMBF4) and 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium hexafluorophosphate (EMIMPF6) at temperatures as high as 120 °C, observing in both cases very fast and enantioselective kinetic resolutions, respectively leading exclusively to the (S) or to the (R)-enantiomer of mandelic acid, depending on the anion component of the ionic liquid.

Polishing Processing to Internal Surface of Non-Magnetic Pipe by Magnetic Abrasive Finishing

It is very difficult matter that polishes the internal surface of the pipe, especially to the thin pipe with the traditional surface technology. Because a usual tool cannot into the inner surface of the thin pipe and automation do not achieved easily. This paper brings up a new method that utilize the characteristic of the magnetic force line may penetrate the non-magnetic material, may using the magnetic abrasive finishing (MAF) method complete to the inner surface of the thin pipe precise polishing. The magnetic abrasive finishing does not need special equipment to complete the complex shape internal surface polishing. Moreover, we already obtained the famous processing effect through the experiment. Meanwhile this paper analyses some factors of influences efficiency, and propose some solution method.

Study on the Polishing Characteristics of the Magnetic Abrasives Finishing to the Slender Pipe

Polishing the inner surface of slender pipe is very difficult. Because a usual tool cannot into the inner surface of the slender pipe, and automation do not achieved easily; the eye is unable to see, even if handmade is also very difficult. Utilize the characteristic of the magnetic force line may penetrate the non-magnetic material, may using the magnetic abrasive finishing (MAF) method complete to the inner surface of the slender pipe precise polishing is a preferable method and already obtained the good processing effect through the experiment. Therefore, this paper analysis and explanation the finishing principle and experiment device as well as collocation position of magnetic poles etc best experimental condition.