PURPOSE: To simply hydrolyze the subject derivative in an organic solvent without polluting environments by dissolving a carboxylic acid derivative in a slightly water- miscible organic solvent, saturating the solution with water, treating the solution with a hydrolase, again saturating the left organic phase with water, and subsequently treating the saturated solution with the hydrolase.
CONSTITUTION: This method for enzymatically hydrolyzing a carboxylic acid derivative comprises dissolving the carboxylic acid derivative in an organic solvent which is miscible with water only to a slight extent, charging the formed organic solvent solution into an aqueous phase in a storage container to saturate the organic solution with the water, separating the aqueous phase, passing the water-saturated organic solvent solution through a reaction vessel containing a hydrolase with a pump, charging the formed organic reaction solution into the aqueous phase of a storage container having a pH constantly maintained by the addition of a base with a pump, dissolving the formed carboxylic acid as a salt with the added base in the aqueous phase, removing the carboxylic acid from the hydrolysis equilibrium, again saturating the organic phase with water, separating the aqueous phase, and bringing the left organic phase into contact with the hydrolase and subsequently with water again until the desired degree of conversion is achieved.
ESTERMANN ROBERT (AT)
MAYRHOFER HERBERT (AT)
BANKO GERALD (AT)
