Comparison between Enzymatic Kinetic Resolution of Naproxen in Batch Reactor and CSTR

The difference between a continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) and a batchwise reactor has been shown for the enzymatic kinetic resolution of naproxen. By macroscopic reactor balancing, new quantitative relationships between enzyme enantioselectivity, product enantiomeric excess and the extent of conversion have been deduced for chiral resolution in a CSTR. They were experimentally verified by the lipase-catalyzed asymmetric hydrolysis of racemic naproxen methyl ester. The stereoseIective hydrolysis reaction was performed both in a batch system and a CSTR. At a particular conversion slightly higher enantiomeric excess of product can be obtained in a batch system. Under similar reaction conditions a higher conversion can be obtained in a batch system. After 1200 h continuous operation, the immobilized lipase running in a batch reactor reserves 65% of its original activity and running in a CSTR reserves 80%, that is, the immobilized lipase is more stabe in a CSTR.