Cinnamyl Esters Synthesis By Lipase-Catalyzed Transesterification in a Non-Aqueous System

Esters of cinnamyl alcohol find many applications in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries as flavor and fragrance compounds. The current work focuses on the synthesis of cinnamyl acetate from cinnamyl alcohol and vinyl acetate, including screening optimization of reaction conditions such as organic solvents, temperature, catalyst loading and mole ratio. Conversion (93%) was achieved after 4 h when transesterification was carried out at vinyl acetate/cinnamyl alcohol 2:1, 4.0 g L-1 of lipase loading, and at 40 degrees C in hexane as solvent. Also the catalytic behaviors of lipase LipBA for synthesis different carbon chain lengths of cinnamyl esters were determined. Among the different acyl donors employed, vinyl propionate was found to be the best acyl donor which presents a 96% conversion. Enzymatic synthesis of cinnamyl esters is an efficient process vis-A -vis chemical catalysis.