Photoenzymatic Catalytic Process with Reaction-Separation Coupling for the Synthesis of Biobased Plasticizers

Area of Science:

• Green Chemistry
• Biotechnology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Traditional enzymatic synthesis of biobased plasticizers faces challenges with hydrogen peroxide handling and enzyme stability.
• Separation costs in current processes can be high, impacting economic viability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a sustainable and cost-effective process for synthesizing biobased plasticizers.
• To eliminate risks associated with hydrogen peroxide storage and enzyme deactivation.
• To implement an online hydrogen peroxide generation system for enzymatic epoxidation.

Main Methods:

• Utilized hydrophobic biobased carbonized pollen for photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production.
• Employed a lipase-catalyzed epoxidation of isooctyl oleate using in-situ generated hydrogen peroxide.
• Performed molecular docking to assess enzyme-substrate interaction and steric hindrance.

Main Results:

• Achieved a maximum hydrogen peroxide concentration of 14.6 mM within 150 minutes.
• Reached a highest conversion rate of 95.7% for isooctyl epoxyoleate after 4 hours of enzymatic epoxidation.
• Confirmed no steric hindrance in the enzyme catalytic reaction via molecular docking.

Conclusions:

• Developed a greener, light-driven cascade catalysis process for bioplasticizer synthesis.
• Demonstrated a sustainable and economically viable method for producing biobased plasticizers.
• Highlighted the potential of integrated photocatalysis and enzymatic reactions for industrial applications.