Biocatalytic Pickering Emulsions Stabilized by Lipase-Immobilized Carbon Nanotubes for Biodiesel Production

Biodiesel is a promising renewable energy source that can replace fossil fuel, but its production is limited by a lack of high-efficiency catalysts for mass production and popularization. In this study, we developed a biocatalytic Pickering emulsion using multiwall carbon nanotube-immobilized Candid...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Catalysts
Main Authors: Lihui Wang, Xinlong Liu, Yanjun Jiang, Liya Zhou, Li Ma, Ying He, Jing Gao
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2018
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3390/catal8120587
https://doaj.org/article/9b34d515e8fa4a4486ac597d9788cce9
Description
Summary:Biodiesel is a promising renewable energy source that can replace fossil fuel, but its production is limited by a lack of high-efficiency catalysts for mass production and popularization. In this study, we developed a biocatalytic Pickering emulsion using multiwall carbon nanotube-immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB@PE) to produce biodiesel, with J. curcas L. seed oil and methanol as substrates. The morphology of CALB@PE was characterized in detail. A central composite design of the response surface methodology (CCD-RSM) was used to study the effects of the parameters on biodiesel yield, namely the amount of J. curcas L. seed oil (1.5 g), molar ratio of methanol to oil (1:1⁻7:1), CALB@PE dosage (20⁻140 mg), temperature (30⁻50 °C), and reaction time (0⁻24 h). The experimental responses were fitted with a quadratic polynomial equation, and the optimum reaction conditions were the methanol/oil molar ratio of 4.64:1, CALB@PE dosage of 106.87 mg, and temperature of 34.9 °C, with a reaction time of 11.06 h. A yield of 95.2%, which was basically consistent with the predicted value of 95.53%, was obtained. CALB@PE could be reused up to 10 times without a substantial loss of activity. CALB@PE exhibited better reusability than that of Novozym 435 in the process of biodiesel production.