Simple and economical CALB/polyethylene/aluminum biocatalyst for fatty acid esterification

• Published in: Polymers for Advanced Technologies
• Main Authors: Cavallaro, Valeria, Ercoli, Daniel Ricardo, Tonetto, Gabriela Marta, Ferreira, María Luján
• Other Authors: National Council for Scientific and Technological Research, CONICET, Argentina, National Agency of Scientific and Technological Promotion, Argentina
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2017
• Subjects: Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pat.4189; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fpat.4189; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/pat.4189

Candida antarctica lipase B was immobilized for the first time (at the author's knowledge) onto linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) films. Polymer films were previously bonded to a commercial aluminum sheet using a simple support preparation method. Biocatalyst performance was evaluated in penthyl oleate synthesis at room temperature. Two different catalyst geometries were tested and compared: one aluminum‐polyethylene 50 mm × 50 mm foil (50CAT) or near 5 mm × 5 mm aluminum‐polyethylene foils (5CAT). The obtained results demonstrate that the biocatalyst obtained with 50 mm × 50 mm aluminum‐polyethylene foil or 50CAT is reusable in up to 7 cycles, easy to separate from reaction products, and economical in comparison with commercial Novozym 435. Novel and economical CALB/LLDPE/Al biocatalyst is an attractive alternative for possible applications in a continuous monolithic reactor and future industrial scaling up.