Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 24, 2025

Synthesis of Hydrogels with Antifouling Properties As Membranes for Water Purification
Published on: April 7, 2017
'Clean' hydrolase reactions using commercial washing powder
Jie Zhang1, Fabio Tonin2, Wuyuan Zhang2
1Chongqing Key Laboratory of Catalysis & Functional Organic Molecules, College of Environment and Resources, Chongqing Technology and Business University Chongqing 400067 China.
Commercial laundry powder, containing enzymes, effectively catalyzes various chemical reactions like ester hydrolysis and transesterification. This inexpensive and stable biocatalyst is recyclable, offering a practical solution for chemical transformations.
Area of Science:
- Biocatalysis
- Enzymatic Chemistry
- Green Chemistry
Background:
- Lipase-catalyzed reactions are crucial in chemical synthesis.
- Developing cost-effective and sustainable biocatalysts is an ongoing challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of commercial laundry powder as a lipase biocatalyst.
- To evaluate its efficacy in various enzymatic transformations.
Main Methods:
- Utilized commercial laundry powder as a source of lipase enzymes.
- Applied the biocatalyst in transesterification, ester hydrolysis, and chemoenzymatic epoxidation reactions.
Main Results:
- The laundry powder demonstrated significant catalytic activity across tested reactions.
- The biocatalyst showed excellent stability and recyclability over multiple reaction cycles.
- Successful application in ester hydrolysis, transesterification, and epoxidation.
Conclusions:
- Commercial laundry powder serves as an accessible, affordable, and efficient biocatalyst.
- Its stability and recyclability support its use in sustainable chemical synthesis.
- This approach offers a green alternative for lipase-catalyzed transformations.
Related Concept Videos
Hydrolysis
Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction in which the addition of water breaks down a polymer into its simpler monomer units. For example, peptides break into amino acids, carbohydrates into simple sugars, and DNA into nucleotides. Enzymes often facilitate these processes.
Hydrolysis Reverses Dehydration Synthesis
Complex carbohydrates can be broken down by breaking the bonds between individual sugar units. The reaction breaks a glycosidic bond as water is added to the compound. The...
Phase I Reactions: Hydrolytic Reactions
An important hydrolytic reaction is ester hydrolysis. Ester bonds, often found in prodrugs, are broken down, increasing the solubility of drugs like aspirin and lidocaine for more straightforward elimination. Amide hydrolysis is another critical reaction, targeting amide bonds prevalent...
Detergent Purification of Membrane Proteins
Acid Halides to Carboxylic Acids: Hydrolysis
As shown below, the mechanism involves a nucleophilic attack by water at the carbonyl carbon to form a tetrahedral intermediate. This is followed by the reformation of the carbon–oxygen π bond along with the departure of a halide ion. A final proton transfer step yields carboxylic...
Esters to Carboxylic Acids: Acid-Catalyzed Hydrolysis
During hydrolysis, the ester is first activated towards nucleophilic attack through the protonation of the carboxyl oxygen atom by the acid catalyst. The protonation makes the ester carbonyl carbon more electrophilic. In the next step, water acts as a nucleophile and adds to the...
Aldehydes and Ketones with Water: Hydrate Formation
The formation of hydrates is a reversible reaction. Hydrate formation is influenced by steric and electronic factors accompanying the alkyl substituents on the carbonyl group: The rate of hydrate formation increases with a decrease in the number of alkyl groups attached to the carbonyl carbon. Hence,...

