Optically pure amines can be used in the fine chemical industry as resolving agents, chiral auxiliaries, and chiral synthetic building blocks for pharmaceuticals as well as agrochemicals. Lipase-catalyzed kinetic resolution of (R,S)-1-phenylethylamine with ethyl acetate as an acyl donor using Candida antatartica immobilized lipase as a biocatalyst under microwave irradiation was optimized in this study. Response surface methodology (RSM) and four-factor-three-level Box-Behnken design were employed to evaluate the effect of synthesis parameter such as speed of agitation, enzyme loading, and temperature and acyl donor/alcohol molar ratio on % conversion, enantiomeric excess, enantioselectivity and initial rate. ANOVA was performed to determine significantly affecting variables.
Keywords: (R,S)-1-Phenylethylamine, Response surface methodology, Box-Behnken design, Novozyme 435
