In situ immobilization of commercial lipase in rigid polyurethane foam and application in the esterification of geraniol and oleic acid

Resumo

The aim of this work was to evaluate the immobilization of Candida antarcticalipase B (CalB) using polyurethane (PU) foam. The stability of the enzymatic derivative against temperature (40, 60 and 80 °C) together with the recycle capacity and storage stability (4 and 25°C) were evaluated. The application of the enzymatic derivative of CalB in esterification reactions was accomplished. Results indicated that the molar ratio between polyol and isocyanate monomers of 5:3 (v/v) was the best one for the immobilization. The immobilization process resulted in a 1363% increase in activity for the enzymatic derivative. The enzymatic derivative obtained kept its initial activity even after 21 h of exposure to high temperatures. The enzymatic activity of the complex was maintained during 30 days at low temperatures, and showed stability during 4 consecutive reuse cycles. The synthesis of geranyl oleate catalyzed by the immobilized derivative presented conversion of 87%. Taking into account the promising results obtained, the low cost of the immobilization support employed and the whole technique developed, this work comprise an innovative contribution.