Solvent-free synthesis of ethyl oleate using enzymatic and non-enzymatic catalysts

MARÍA LAURA FORESTI; ALBERTO ERRAZU; MARÍA LUJÁN FERREIRA

París

Congreso; XIII Congreso Internacional de Catálisis; 2004

Several enzymatic non-supported and polypropylene (PP) supported catalysts, based on lipases from Candida rugosa and Pseudomonas Fluorescens, were tested in the solvent-free system for ethyl oleate synthesis. Besides, a strong aromatic basic catalyst 1,5,7 triazabicyclo [4.4.0] dec-5-ene or TBD was tested soluble and chitosan- supported in the same reaction. Several immobilization parameters were studied (time, effect of the immobilization media pH, particle size). Different aspects of the solvent-free reactions were taken into account for soluble and supported catalysts ( amount of water present initially, amount of supported catalyst used, effect of temperature, etc). Conversion of enzymatic catalysts PP- supported achieved 15 % after 2 hours reaction at 45 C. Interfacial activation of the enzyme is supposed to take place in the immobilization procedure, because of the contact with the hydrophobic PP in a polar aqueous media, buffered at pH 7. Molecular modeling was used as an additional tool to give some insight on the mechanistic details in ethyl oleate synthesis, related to the experimental data.