The influences of water activity and solvent hydrophobicity on the kinetics of the lipase-catalyzed enantioselective esterification of flurbiprofen with n-butanol were investigated. The solvent effect was not similar for lipases from Candida rugosa (Crl), Mucor javanicus (Mjl), and porcine pancreas (Ppl). The lipase-catalyzed reaction rates in different solvents across a wide range of water activities revealed that the Ppl-catalyzed reaction exhibited no enantioselectivity and no substantial water activity or solvent dependence. The Mjl-catalyzed reaction proceeded faster, preferring the R-enantiomer reaction over that of its antipode, but had little solvent or water activity dependence. The Crl-catalyzed reactions in n-heptane and n-nonane had similar... |