The use of ionic liquids to replace organic or aqueous solvents in biocatalysis processes has recently received great attention, and much progress has been made in this area; the lipase-catalyzed reactions are the most successful. Recent developments in the application of ionic liquids as solvents in lipase-catalyzed reactions for organic synthesis are reviewed, focusing on the ionic liquid mediated activation method of lipase-catalyzed reactions.
Keywords: Activation; Enantioselectivity; Ionic liquids; Lipase-catalyzed reaction; Organic synthesis; Reaction rate; Stability of enzymes.