Synthesis and characterization of heterogeneous catalysts (nanozeolites/enzymes complexes) for biodiesel production using microalgae wet biomass cultivated in open falling film photobioreactors

• Grant number: 25/14137-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: October 01, 2025
• End date: September 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Jose Geraldo Nery
• Grantee: Mian Abdul Ali
• Host 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 research grant: 23/02052-0 - Synthesis and characterization of heterogeneous catalysts (nanozeolites/enzymes complexes) for biodiesel production using microalgae wet biomass cultivated in open falling film photobioreactors, AP.BIOEN.R

Abstract

Biodiesel which consists of a mixture of fatty acids alkyl esters is an important renewable energy source. Besides all scientific and technical advances regarding Brazilian biodiesel production there is still a strong need of overcoming several drawbacks specially related to the new economically viable sources of raw materials (non-edible oils) and implementation of new and innovative catalytic technologies. A potential new source of raw material for biodiesel production at industrial scale is microalgae oils which in principle could be produced at large scale by employing the open falling film photobioreactors technology. It is evident that the present based homogeneous catalytic technology used for biodiesel production at industrial scale cannot be efficiently employed in catalytic conversion of the triacylglycerides derived from microalgae without previously and costly steps such as extraction, separation and purification of the microalgae oils. One manner of overcoming this catalytic hurdle would be the use of new and heterogeneous catalysts as for instance, enzymes/nanozeolites complexes. These complexes synergistically combine the catalytic advantages of enzymes and nanozeolites and in principle have the potential of being used for the biodiesel production at industrial scale by employing the current available reactors configuration such as fixed bed, fluidized bed and batch reactors. The current research proposal, which is a scientific cooperation among UNESP, UNIFAL and UFRJ´s research groups, aims the syntheses, characterization of new biocatalysts derived from Thermomyces lanuginosus immobilized on nanozeolites and their use in the hydroesterification and transesterification of microalgae oil into biodiesel both at laboratorial and pilot scale by using fixed bed, fluidized bed or batch reactors. In recent years, some companies have developed low-cost lipase liquid formulations with high catalytic activity and stability to reduce effective costs of biodiesel production. In 2016, Novozymes launched the Eversa® Transform 2.0 formulation on the international market, a lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus expressed in Aspergillus oryzae. This formulation is very attractive for the production of biodiesel on a commercial scale due to its lower cost compared to other enzymes available on the market ($20.0 kg/kg), high tolerance for short-chain alcohols such as methanol or ethanol and for acidic oleaginous raw materials such as waste oils. Recent studies reported in the literature have demonstrated the need to immobilize this enzyme on different supports in order to improve its catalytic activity and reuse (sequential batches) in different reaction systems. Thus, the present proposal aims to immobilize the enzyme on different supports not yet used in the immobilization of this enzyme (novelty of the current proposal), which expands its application and versatility in industrial processes such as the production of biodiesel in batch and continuous processes.Therefore, the focus of this research project is: a) the study of new inorganic solid matrices composed of hierarchically structured OPT materials containing metals such as Chromium (Cr), Germanium (Ge), Niobium (Nb), Tin (Sn), Vanadium (V), Yttrium (Y), Zirconium (Zr) and Bismuth (Bi) in their crystallographic structures; b) Use lipids derived from microalgae, namely Monoraphidium sp, Microalgae Nannochloropsis oculata and Chlamydonona sp, grown in bioreactors. This approach aims to establish a source of raw materials that does not compete with resources intended for human and animal food, as is the case with traditional raw materials such as corn and soybeans; c) Carry out the production of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) through two distinct technologies: Hydroesterification and Transesterification. Both techniques will use lipid substrates from microalgae grown in the descending photobioreactor. (AU)