Polymer International 42 (1997) 127È128

Book Reviews

Enzymatic reactions in organic mediaEdited by A. M. P. Koskinen and A. M. Klibanov.Blackie Academic & Professional, Glasgow, 1995.pp. xiii] 314, price £75.00.ISBN 0-7514-0259-1

During the last decade, the chemistÏs perception of enzymeshas changed dramatically. The view that enzymes could onlybe used in aqueous media and at near-ambient temperatureshas changed with the development of many processes andreactions using enzymes in non-aqueous solvents. The highselectivity and mild conditions associated with these enzy-matic transformations have made them very attractive for thesynthesis of a wide range of products. This technique is notrestricted to the chemical laboratory, as it enables the large-scale manufacturing of products that are otherwise difficult tomake.

The Ðrst two chapters of this book outline the use and chal-lenges of enzymes in organic media in a general sense. Thefundamentals of non-aqueous enzymology are discussed inChapter 3. The main topics are structural and mechanisticintegrity, and the relationship of solvents and enzymaticproperties. A kinetic and thermodynamic enzymatic model isalso considered.

Research into new enzymatic properties in organic mediahas revealed that enzymes are catalytically active in organicsolvents because they remain trapped in the native conforma-tion (Chapter 4).

Some general principles in conducting biocatalytic reactionsusing hydrolytic enzymes in organic solvents are discussed inthe next chapter and selective enantioselective transformationsare highlighted to emphasise the usefulness of this non-aqueous methodology. The regioselectivity of hydrolases andthe enzymatic acetylation of polyhydroxylated compounds areconsidered in Chapter 6. Hydrolase is also very useful inasymmetric catalysed and other transformation reactions.These properties are considered in Chapter 7.

Peptide synthesis by enzymatic methods is not yet routinelyemployed in a laboratory, partly because it su†ers from short-comings. New developments and large-scale enzymatic con-version in non-aqueous media are discussed in Chapters 9 and10.

This book is an essential acquisition and reference to theuse of enzymes in organic media for chemists working on thesynthesis of a wide range of chemical products.

G. JackersJ. F. Kennedy

1Polymer International 0959-8103/97/$09.00 1997 SCI. Printed in Great Britain(