Biocatalytic production of e-caprolactone usingGeotrichum candidumcells immobilized on functionalized silica

Immobilization of theGeotrichum candidum(CCT 1205) cell with functionalized silica creates promising biocatalysts for production of e-caprolactone. The results obtained by immobilization of the whole cell on SiO2-NH(2)and SiO2-SH supports indicate that the presence of reactive functional groups on the support may promote effective chemical bonds with the cell walls resulting the decreased dehydrogenases enzyme activity (5% yield in less than 2h) and consequently, increased Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenases enzyme activity with redacting of 25% of time reaction when is used SiO2-NH(2)as support and 50% through use of SiO2-SH as support relative to free cells when cyclohexanone is used as a substrate. The catalysts SiO2-NH2-Geotrichum candidumand SiO2-SH-Geotrichum candidumwere recycling and reused in the e-caprolactone synthesis from cyclohexanone, and the biocatalysts promoted a quantitative conversion up to the eighth reaction cycle.