1
|
Ortega-Requena S, Montiel C, Máximo F, Gómez M, Murcia MD, Bastida J. Esters in the Food and Cosmetic Industries: An Overview of the Reactors Used in Their Biocatalytic Synthesis. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 17:268. [PMID: 38204120 PMCID: PMC10779758 DOI: 10.3390/ma17010268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Esters are versatile compounds with a wide range of applications in various industries due to their unique properties and pleasant aromas. Conventionally, the manufacture of these compounds has relied on the chemical route. Nevertheless, this technique employs high temperatures and inorganic catalysts, resulting in undesired additional steps to purify the final product by removing solvent residues, which decreases environmental sustainability and energy efficiency. In accordance with the principles of "Green Chemistry" and the search for more environmentally friendly methods, a new alternative, the enzymatic route, has been introduced. This technique uses low temperatures and does not require the use of solvents, resulting in more environmentally friendly final products. Despite the large number of studies published on the biocatalytic synthesis of esters, little attention has been paid to the reactors used for it. Therefore, it is convenient to gather the scattered information regarding the type of reactor employed in these synthesis reactions, considering the industrial field in which the process is carried out. A comparison between the performance of the different reactor configurations will allow us to draw the appropriate conclusions regarding their suitability for each specific industrial application. This review addresses, for the first time, the above aspects, which will undoubtedly help with the correct industrial implementation of these processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Josefa Bastida
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Chemistry, Campus of Espinardo, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain; (S.O.-R.); (C.M.); (F.M.); (M.G.); (M.D.M.)
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Technical–Economic Assessment—The Missing Piece for Increasing the Attractiveness of Applied Biocatalysis in Ester Syntheses? Catalysts 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/catal13020223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the current literature describes significant advances in biocatalytic ester syntheses, few industrial plants worldwide are currently producing esters using biocatalysts. Green and sustainable esters can be obtained via a biocatalytic route, including some operational advantages over conventional syntheses. An analysis of the literature revealed that most articles neglect or describe the economic issues generically, without quantitative information. Scaling-up studies are also scarce in this field. The main disadvantage of biocatalysis using immobilized lipases—their cost—has not been studied at the same level of depth as other technical aspects. This gap in the literature is less intense in enzymatic biodiesel production studies and, despite the lack of a strict correlation, enzymatic biodiesel commercial plants are relatively more common. Preliminary techno-economic assessments are crucial to identify and circumvent the economic drawbacks of biocatalytic ester syntheses, opening the way to broader application of this technology in a large-scale context.
Collapse
|
5
|
Montiel MC, Asensi M, Gimeno-Martos S, Máximo F, Bastida J. Sustainable Biocatalytic Procedure for Obtaining New Branched Acid Esters. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 14:6847. [PMID: 34832249 PMCID: PMC8625366 DOI: 10.3390/ma14226847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Biocatalytic synthesis of 2-ethylhexyl 2-methylhexanoate is described in this work for the first time. This branched-chain ester is suitable for use at low temperatures in numerous applications. The immobilized lipase Novozym® 435 has demonstrated its ability to catalyze the ester synthesis from 2-ethylhexanol and 2-methylhexanoic acid in a solvent-free medium. The high reaction times that are required result in a loss of alcohol by evaporation, which must be compensated for with an excess of this substrate if high conversions are to be achieved. Therefore, two strategies are established: 70 °C with a 10% excess of alcohol, which requires a longer operating time and provides conversions of 97%, and 80 °C with a 20% excess of alcohol, which allows for the achievement of a 99% conversion in a shorter time. The optimal reaction conditions have been chosen based on reusability of the enzyme, process productivity, green metrics and preliminary economic study. When the synthesis is carried out under the best conditions (70 °C, 10% molar excess of alcohol and six uses of the immobilized enzyme) a productivity of 203.84 kg product × kg biocatalyst-1 is attained. The biocatalytic procedure matches many of the objectives of "green chemistry" and is suitable to be scaled up and used in industrial manufacturing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Josefa Bastida
- Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Chemistry, Campus Mare Nostrum, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain; (M.C.M.); (M.A.); (S.G.-M.); (F.M.)
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Simplified Method to Optimize Enzymatic Esters Syntheses in Solvent-Free Systems: Validation Using Literature and Experimental Data. Catalysts 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/catal11111357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The adoption of biocatalysis in solvent-free systems is an alternative to establish a greener esters production. An interesting correlation between the acid:alcohol molar ratio and biocatalyst (immobilized lipase) loading in the optimization of ester syntheses in solvent-free systems had been observed and explored. A simple mathematical tool named Substrate-Enzyme Relation (SER) has been developed, indicating a range of reaction conditions that resulted in high conversions. Here, SER utility has been validated using data from the literature and experimental assays, totalizing 39 different examples of solvent-free enzymatic esterifications. We found a good correlation between the SER trends and reaction conditions that promoted high conversions on the syntheses of short, mid, or long-chain esters. Moreover, the predictions obtained with SER are coherent with thermodynamic and kinetics aspects of enzymatic esterification in solvent-free systems. SER is an easy-to-handle tool to predict the reaction behavior, allowing obtaining optimum reaction conditions with a reduced number of experiments, including the adoption of reduced biocatalysts loadings.
Collapse
|
7
|
de Sousa RR, Pinto MCC, Aguieiras ECG, Cipolatti EP, Manoel EA, da Silva AS, Pinto JC, Freire DMG, Ferreira-Leitão VS. Comparative performance and reusability studies of lipases on syntheses of octyl esters with an economic approach. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 2021; 45:131-145. [PMID: 34605995 DOI: 10.1007/s00449-021-02646-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
A suitable immobilized lipase for esters syntheses should be selected considering not only its cost. We evaluated five biocatalysts in syntheses of octyl caprylate, octyl caprate, and octyl laurate, in which conversions higher than 90% were achieved. Novozym® 435 and non-commercial preparations (including a dry fermented solid) were selected for short-term octyl laurate syntheses using different biocatalysts loadings. By increasing the biocatalyst's loading the lipase's reusability also raised, but without strict proportionality, which resulted in a convergence between the lowest biocatalyst loading and the lowest cost per batch. The use of a dry fermented solid was cost-effective, even using loadings as high as 20.0% wt/wt due to its low obtaining cost, although exhibiting low productiveness. The combination of biocatalyst's cost, esterification activity, stability, and reusability represents proper criteria for the choice. This kind of assessment may help to establish quantitative goals to improve or to develop new biocatalysts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ronaldo Rodrigues de Sousa
- Biocatalysis Laboratory, Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovations, National Institute of Technology, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20081-312, Brazil.,Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-909, Brazil
| | - Martina Costa Cerqueira Pinto
- Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Chemical Engineering Program, COPPE, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-972, Brazil.,Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-909, Brazil
| | - Erika Cristina Gonçalves Aguieiras
- Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-909, Brazil.,Federal University of Rio de Janeiro Campus, UFRJ - Duque de Caxias, Prof. Geraldo Cidade, Duque de Caxias, RJ, 25240-005, Brazil
| | - Eliane Pereira Cipolatti
- Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-909, Brazil.,Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-972, Brazil
| | - Evelin Andrade Manoel
- Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-972, Brazil
| | - Ayla Sant'Ana da Silva
- Biocatalysis Laboratory, Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovations, National Institute of Technology, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20081-312, Brazil.,Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-909, Brazil
| | - José Carlos Pinto
- Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Chemical Engineering Program, COPPE, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-972, Brazil
| | | | - Viridiana Santana Ferreira-Leitão
- Biocatalysis Laboratory, Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovations, National Institute of Technology, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20081-312, Brazil. .,Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-909, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Sousa RR, Silva AS, Fernandez-Lafuente R, Ferreira-Leitão VS. Solvent-free esterifications mediated by immobilized lipases: a review from thermodynamic and kinetic perspectives. Catal Sci Technol 2021. [DOI: 10.1039/d1cy00696g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Esters are a highly relevant class of compounds in the industrial context, and biocatalysis applied to ester syntheses is already a reality for some chemical companies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ronaldo Rodrigues Sousa
- Biocatalysis Laboratory, National Institute of Technology, Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovations, 20081-312, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Ayla Sant'Ana Silva
- Biocatalysis Laboratory, National Institute of Technology, Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovations, 20081-312, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Department of Biochemistry, 21941-909, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Roberto Fernandez-Lafuente
- Biocatalysis Department, ICP-CSIC, Campus UAM-CSIC, Madrid 28049, Spain
- Center of Excellence in Bionanoscience Research, External Scientific Advisory Academics, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Viridiana Santana Ferreira-Leitão
- Biocatalysis Laboratory, National Institute of Technology, Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovations, 20081-312, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Department of Biochemistry, 21941-909, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|