Lima_2022_Mol.Catal_530_112635

In this study, 37 fatty acid amides were obtained by CAL-B (Novozym 435) in 2 h, with yields up to 91%. The (S)-mandelic acid amides (3a-3l, 14-91%), salicylic acid amides (3m-3y, 57-90%), and 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propanoic acid amides (3z-3ak, 17-70%) were efficiently synthetized using different fatty acids in an esterification reaction catalyzed by CAL-B. An one-pot procedure was developed, and the fatty acid amide 3m was obtained in 63% after two-steps. The same procedure was applied using coconut oil, a product rich in triglycerides containing C12-C16 carbon chains, and the fatty acid amide 3al was obtained with 60% yield. These results represent an important contribution to the biocatalytic synthesis of fatty acid amides for possible cosmetic and pharmacological applications.