Synthesis and characterization of new biocatalysts formed by nanozeolite and laccase enzymes complexes: their applications in oxidation reactions of glycerol to tartronic acid and mesoxalic acid compounds

• Grant number: 16/24303-0
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): March 01, 2017
• Effective date (End): August 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal researcher: Jose Geraldo Nery
• Grantee: Alex Henrique Miller
• Home Institution: Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São José do Rio Preto. São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 18/21483-3 - Laccase/TEMPO-mediated glycerol oxidation Spectroscopic and Electrochemical assessment., BE.EP.DR

Abstract

The increase in the glycerol production by transesterification of fats or vegetable oils enables the studies of new technological applications for its use as raw material. For every 10 kg of biodiesel synthesized, 1 kg of glycerol is produced. The transformation of glycerol in other products with greater added economic values has gained high industrial interest, once it also favors the biodiesel production economy, and concomitantly, provides the chemical industry with more versatile raw materials or building blocks that can be used to make more complex molecules. Etherification, oxidation, catalytic reforming and esterification, are examples of reaction that glycerol may be applied. The goal of this project is to explore the selective glycerol oxidation to tartronic acid and mesoxalic acid, using new biocatalysts. Both tartronic and mesoxalic acids are compounds with several applications in the pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and fine chemicals industries, what makes the development of new catalytic routes that allows to convert low price biomass to these products a relevant technical-scientific challenge. In this work, the biocatalyst for the selective glycerol oxidation will be different laccase enzymes (oxidoreductase family) immobilized onto zeolitic nanomaterials. Although there are studies of immobilization of enzymes in zeolitic supports in micrometric scale for various purposes, to the best of our knowledge, to the present, there is no report about the use of nano sized zeolites as solid support to the laccase enzymes immobilization and its use for the glycerol oxidation to mesoxalic and tartronic acids. The new biocatalysts will associate the advantages of the heterogeneous catalysts with those of the enzymatic catalysts. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

DE VASCONCELLOS, ADRIANO; MILLER, ALEX HENRIQUE; ARANDA, DONATO A. G.; NERY, JOSE GERALDO. Biocatalysts based on nanozeolite-enzyme complexes: Effects of alkoxysilane surface functionalization and biofuel production using microalgae lipids feedstock. COLLOIDS AND SURFACES B-BIOINTERFACES, v. 165, p. 150-157, MAY 1 2018. Web of Science Citations: 4.