Lipases Immobilized onto Nanomaterials as Biocatalysts in Biodiesel Production: Scientific Context, Challenges, and Opportunities

Abstract

Lipases have shown highly relevant biotechnological potential as catalysts in organic synthesis reactions, especially in non-aqueous media, allowing for higher-yielding and more simplified production processes. Incorporating this technology in large scale requires the use of economicallyviable techniques, such as enzyme immobilization onto nanomaterials. The main scientific interest in immobilization protocols is to obtain biocatalysts that present better activity, selectivity, stability, and protein-purification properties, when compared to their free form. In this work, we review some of the properties of lipases and their applications, discuss the problems inherent in free-enzyme protocols, present immobilization techniques as solutions to these issues, and explore some applications of immobilized enzymes. Furthermore, the use of nanomaterials, their properties, and their relevance to the topic are also discussed. This study presents a review of the main advantages and the recent developments in the preparation of lipases immobilized onto nanomaterials as biocatalysts to be used in sustainable routes of biodiesel production.