Polyethylene glycol-modified lipase catalyzes asymmetric alcoholysis of δ-decalactone in n-decanol

Lipase from Pseudomonas cepacia was modified with 2,4-bis[O-methoxypoly(ethylene glycol)]-6-chloro-s-triazine(activated PEG sub(2)) to form PEG-lipase. The PEG-lipase, soluble and active in organic solvents, catalyzes asymmetric alcoholysis of racemic delta -decalactone in alcohols to form (R)-5-hydroxydecanoic acid alkyl esters. The yield was 69% with 83% enantiomeric excess after 3 hr-reaction in n-decanol at 50 degree C. The advantage of this reaction is that the alcoholysis proceeds efficiently in straight hydrophobic substrates without any organic solvents.