Biocatalytic reactions in hydrophobic ionic liquids

Medium engineering for biocatalytic reactions is imperative approach for the synthesis of biologically active compounds. Biocatalytic reaction media holding water, organic solvent and supercritical fluids have become well established for commercial applications. Non-aqueous biocatalytic reactions carry significant advantages that non-polar substrate can be specifically reacted and/or product recovered efficiently. On the other hand, usage of conventional organic solvents as non-aqueous medium affects green chemistry aspects. Hydrophobic ionic liquids (ILs) provide desirable environment for many enzymatic reactions as conventional organic solvents do but without emission of volatile organic compound (VOCs). To extend hydrophobic ILs laboratory performance into commercial process requires the creation of a brief database for biocatalytic reactions. In light of the growing relevance of this theme, the current review intends to address the important biotechnological applications of the frequently employed hydrophobic 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([Bmim] PF6) IL. The review also attempts to describe the comparison of various whole cell biocatalytic reactions using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) biphasic systems for product extraction with potentially competitive ILs and other conventional solvents.