Enzyme enantioselectivity in aqueous solutions of novel ionic liquids based on chiral amino acids

ORGN 155

Hua Zhao, Lee Jackson, Zhiyan Song, and Olarongbe Olubajo. Chemistry Program, Savannah State University, Savannah, GA 31404
Novel imidazolium ionic liquids carrying anions of D-, L-, or omega-amino acids were prepared. The enzymatic enantioseparation of phenylalanine methyl ester in aqueous solutions of these ionic liquids was conducted as a model system. In general, these ionic liquids do not inhibit the enzyme activity; the enzyme enantioselectivity was observed close to that in [EMIM][OAc] solutions. However, higher activity and enantioselectivity were usually observed in ionic liquids based on D-amino acids than those based on L-amino acids. The reason is that D-amino acids are more kosmotropic than L-amino acids.