Synthesis of ethyl oleate by esterification in a solvent-free system using lipase immobilized on PDMS-modified nonwoven viscose fabrics

Immobilization of Eversa Lipases on Hydrophobic Supports for Ethanolysis of Sunflower Oil Solvent-Free

Lipases are an important group of biocatalysts for many industrial applications. Two new commercial low-cost lipases Eversa® Transform and Eversa® Transform 2.0 was immobilized on four different hydrophobic supports: Lewatit-DVB, Purolite-DVB, Sepabeads-C18, and Purolite-C18. The performance of immobilized lipases was investigated in the transesterification of sunflower oil solvent-free in an anhydrous medium. Interesting results were obtained for both lipases and the four supports, but with Sepabeads support the lipases Eversa showed high catalytic activity. However, the more stable and efficient derivative was Eversa® Transform immobilized on Sepabeads C-18. A 98 wt% of ethyl ester of fatty acid (FAEE) was obtained, in 3 h at 40ºC, ethanol/sunflower oil molar ratio of 3:1 and a 10 wt% of the immobilized biocatalyst. After 6 reaction cycles, the immobilized biocatalyst preserved 70 wt% of activity. Both lipases immobilized in Sepabeads C-18 were highly active and stable in the presence of ethanol. The immobilization of Eversa Transform and Eversa Transform 2.0 in hydrophobic supports described in this study appears to be a promising alternative to the immobilization and application of these news lipases still unexplored.

Solvent-free esterifications mediated by immobilized lipases: a review from thermodynamic and kinetic perspectives

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.

Continuous ethyl oleate synthesis by lipases produced by solid-state fermentation by Rhizopus microsporus

Lipases produced by solid-state fermentation were used directly as biocatalysts for continuous synthesis of ethyl oleate in a continuously stirred tank reactor. The effect of biocatalyst reutilisation, molar ratio of substrates, agitation rate and feed rate on the esterification of oleic acid with ethanol were investigated. The catalyst maintained 90% conversion for four batch cycles with a 1:2 molar ratio (oleic acid:ethanol). Mechanical agitation at 200 and 300 rpm during 12 h of continuous reaction did not affect the biocatalytic conversion, allowing substrate conversions greater than 90% that were obtained with 50 mM oleic acid at a molar ratio of 1:2 during 14 h reaction. In contrast, substrate conversion was 70% with 100 mM oleic acid at a flow rate of 2 mL/min during 25 h of reaction. These results are promising and offer a technical alternative for the development of accessible biocatalysts that can be used in continuous operations.

Bio-plasticizer production by hybrid acetone-butanol-ethanol fermentation with full cell catalysis of Candida sp. 99-125

Hybrid process that integrated fermentation, pervaporation and esterification was established aiming to improve the economic feasibility of the conventional acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation process. Candida sp 99-125 cells were used as full-cell catalyst. The feasibility of batch and fed-batch esterification using the ABE permeate of pervaporation (ranging from 286.9 g/L to 402.9 g/L) as substrate were compared. Valuable butyl oleate was produced along with ethyl oleate. For the batch esterification, due to severe inhibition of substrate to lipase, the yield of butyl oleate and ethyl oleate were only 24.9% and 3.3%, respectively. In contrast, 75% and 11.8% of butyl oleate and ethyl oleate were obtained, respectively, at the end of the fed-batch esterification. The novel integration process provides a promising strategy for in situ upgrading ABE products.