Formation lipase cross-linked enzyme aggregates on octyl-modified mesocellular foams with oxidized sodium alginate

Supported cross-linked enzyme aggregates were prepared by immobilization of Candida antarctica lipase B onto hydrophobic surface of octyl-modified mesocellular foams (MCFs-C8). Oxidized sodium alginate was used as a substitute for traditional glutaraldehyde. Supported cross-linked enzyme aggregates using oxidized sodium alginate (SA-CLEAs@MCFs-C8) exhibited significantly improved thermal stability and organic solvents tolerance compared to the free lipase, lipase adsorbed onto MCFs-C8 and supported cross-linked enzyme aggregates using glutaraldehyde (G-CLEAs@MCFs-C8). Then immobilized lipases were employed for biodiesel production by transesterification of soybean oil with methanol. In the optimization condition, SA-CLEAs@MCFs-C8 were quite stable and still showed high fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) yield after 5 repeated cycles (from 89% to 78%), whereas MCFs-C8-CALB retained 67% FAME yield (about 72% for G-CLEAs@MCFs-C8).