Impact of ionic liquid physical properties on lipase activity and stability.

Lipase activity and stability was investigated in dialkylimidazolium and pyrrolidinium-based ionic liquids with a variety of anions including hexafluorophosphate, acetate, nitrate, methanesulfonate, trifluoroacetate, and trifluoromethylsulfonate. The initial rate of lipase-catalyzed transesterification of methyl methacrylate in these ionic liquids and several organic solvents was examined as well as the polytransesterification of divinyl adipate and 1,4-butanediol. Free lipase (Candida rugosa) catalyzed the transesterification of methyl methacrylate in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate at a rate 1.