Use of an ionic liquid in a two-phase system to improve an alcohol dehydrogenase catalysed reduction

Due to favourable partition coefficients the highly enantioselective reduction of 2-octanone, catalysed by an alcohol dehydrogenase from Lactobacillus brevis, is faster in a biphasic system containing buffer and the ionic liquid [BMIM][(CF3SO2)(2)N] compared to the reduction in a biphasic system containing buffer and methyl tert-butyl ether.