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The effects of substrate concentration, enzyme concentration, reaction temperature, and water content were investigated in intramolecular esterification. This study used cyclohexane as organic solvent, power lipase as enzyme, and benzyl alcohol and octanoic acid as substrate. The initial reaction rate was found to be proportional to enzyme concentration; followed Michaelis-Menten equation for octanoic acid; and was inhibited by benzyl alcohol . The observed initial reaction rate first increased, then decreased with increasing reaction temperature, giving rise to the maximum rate at 20$\circ$. The drop in the reaction rate at higher temperature was to partition equilibrium change of substrate between organic solvent and hydration layer of enzyme molecule in addition to the deactivation by enzyme denaturation. Water layer surrounding enzyme molecule seemed to activate in organic solvent and the realistic reaction was done in the water layer. In the enzymatic reaction in organic solvent, the initial reaction rate was influenced by partition quilibrium of substrate, so the optimum condition of substrate concentration, enzyme concentration, reaction temperature, and water content would give a good design tool.
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