Development of a magnetically stabilized fluidized bed bioreactor for enzymatic synthesis of 2-ethylhexyl oleate

Author(s)

da Silva, Mateus V. C. ; Rangel, Amanda B. S. ; Rosa, Cintia M. R. ; de Assis, Gabrielle P. ; Aguiar, Leandro G. ; de Freitas, Larissa

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering; v. N/A, p. 12-pg., 2023-10-10.

Abstract

This study aimed to develop and investigate the synthesis of 2-ethylhexyl oleate catalyzed by Candida antarctica lipase immobilized on magnetic poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) (STY-DVB-M) particles in a magnetically stabilized fluidized bed reactor (MSFBR) operated in continuous mode. The physical properties of the copolymer were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The glass transition temperature was 85.68 degrees C, and the onset of thermal degradation occurred at 406.66 degrees C. Syntheses were performed at 50 degrees C using a space time of 12 h and a bed porosity of 0.892. Assays were conducted to assess the influence of magnetic field intensity (5 to 15 mT) on reaction yield, ester concentration, and productivity. The highest productivity was 0.850 +/- 0.023 mmol g-1 h-1, obtained with a magnetic field intensity of 15 mT. An operational stability test was performed under these conditions, revealing a biocatalyst half-life of 2148 h (179 operation cycles) and a thermal deactivation constant of 3.23 x 10-4 h-1 (R2 = 0.9446). Computational simulations and mathematical modeling were performed using Scilab based on ping-pong bi-bi kinetics and molar balances of reaction species. The model provided consistent results of interstitial velocity and good prediction of reaction yields, with R2 = 0.926. These findings demonstrate that the studied technique can provide improvements in biocatalytic processes, representing a promising strategy for the enzymatic synthesis of 2-ethylhexyl oleate. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/10636-8 - From the cell factory to the Biodiesel-Bioethanol integrated biorefinery: a systems approach applied to complex problems in micro and macroscales
• Grantee: Roberto de Campos Giordano
• Support Opportunities: Program for Research on Bioenergy (BIOEN) - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 16/17833-3 - Emollient esters synthesis catalyzed by immobilized lipase on styrene-based polymers with magnetic properties
• Grantee: Larissa de Freitas
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants