Ionic liquids for enhancing the enantioselectivity of isolated BVMO-catalysed oxidations

The present study describes the first-time usage of an isolated thermostable Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase (phenylacetone monooxygenase, PAMO) in the presence of ionic liquids. The stability, activity and selectivity of PAMO as an oxidative enzyme in the presence of different ionic liquids were studied. This revealed that the addition of some specific ionic liquids, such Ammoeng (TM) 102 and [bmim]MeSO4, can significantly enhance the E-value in the oxidation of racemic benzylketones. Moreover, the use of ionic liquids increases the optimal substrate concentration for performing Baeyer-Villiger oxidation, thereby extending the biocatalytic repertoire of PAMO for synthetic applications.