Biocatalytic esterification of lavandulol in supercritical carbon dioxide using acetic acid as the acyl donor

The monoterpene lavandulol, an industrially significant component of the essential oil of plants of the genus Lavandula, has been successfully converted to lavandulyl acetate by enzymatic catalysis in supercritical carbon dioxide using immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B (Novozym 435). The biotransformation was optimized with respect to substrate concentration, temperature and pressure/density. Conversions of up to 86% were observed at substrate concentrations of 60 mM at 60 °C and 10 MPa. Increased temperature of the system resulted in lower enantioselectivity, whereas changes in pressure/density had little effect on this parameter.