Chemo-enzymatic chiral insecticide preparation won prize in China

Zhejiang University (Hangzhou, China) won a “2012 China National Technical Invention Award” for their organic solvent based chemo-enzymatic chiral insecticide preparation technology, which is developed by their research team headed by Professor Yang Lirong. Recently Professor Yang briefed to the Agropages the significance of the technical achievement.

Enzyme catalyzed reaction has got distinctive merits, which are of high specificity, efficiency and mild reaction conditions. Scientists all over the world are working positively to use bio-catalysis to realize the synthesis of organic compounds. However because the processing of chemicals involves organic solvent and fat-solubles, the bio-catalyst in the system may always face the problem of lower catalytic efficiency and inactivation of enzymes.

To deal with aforesaid problem, Zhejiang University carried out researches into preparation of high-efficient industrial bio-catalysis and bio-catalysis reaction process which are especially applicable to organic solvent. To fulfill the special requirement of organic solvent reaction system, strain selection and methacryloxy propyl sol-gel method-based high-efficient immobilization technology are applied. This has noticeably increased the activation, stability and enantioselectivity of immobilized lipase; in the meantime an innovation has been achieved in respect of organic solvent-based chiral alcohol preparation process via enzymatic resolution.
 
According to Professor Yang, the cost of production of pyrethroid-insecticide production line with this technology is brought down from Yuan 300,000 to Yuan 200,000 per ton while sewage is reduced by 80% compared with conventional production process. The technology can also be applied to pharmaceuticals, pesticides, chemicals and foodstuffs industries, which will help to facilitate industry’s technical renovation and upgrade.