ABSTRACT
The asymmetric hydrolyzation of racemic ibuprofen ester is one of the most important methods for chiral separation of ibuprofen. A catalytic antibody that accelerates the rate of enantioselective hydrolysis of ibuprofen methyl ester was successfully elicited against an immunogen consisting of tetrahedral sulfate hapten attached to bovine serum albumin (BSA). The rate constant enhancement factor Kcat/Kuncat was about 1.6x104. The catalytic activity of the catalytic antibody in a reverse micelle reaction system based on sodium b/s (2-ethylhexyl) sodium sulfosuccinate (AOT) in isooctane was studied. Kinetic analysis of the catalytic antibody-catalyzed reaction was found to be possible in this system. Kinetic studies showed that hydrolysis in the microemulsion system follow Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The catalytic antibody can also accelerate catalysis of S-ibuprofen methyl ester in the microemulsion system. Temperature effects, the pH profile, Km,app and Kcat were determined. The dependence of the catalytic antibody hydrolytic activity on the Wo (molar ratio of water to surfactant) showed a bell-shaped curve, presenting a maximum at about wo = 21.