Novozym® 435 and Lipozyme® RM IM as Biocatalysts for Benzyl Benzoate Synthesis

With the ever-increasing demand for clean technology in the industrial sector, natural methods, such as enzyme-catalyzed, represent a sustainable alternative to industrial chemical processes. In this context, the synthesis of benzyl benzoate ester using commercial immobilized lipases was evaluated. For this, a kinetic study was carried out to determine the reaction time (24 h) and enzyme concentration (10 wt%). Then, a 22 full factorial design was proposed to evaluate the effect of molar ratio (benzyl alcohol to benzoic anhydride) and temperature on conversion of benzyl benzoate in the presence of tert-butanol as solvent. For the Novozym (R) 435, maximum conversion (32%) was achieved at 60 degrees C, using a molar ratio of 1:5 (alcohol to anhydride). A maximum conversion of 51% was obtained for Lipozyme (R) RM IM at 40 degrees C and the molar ratio of 1:5. The benzyl benzoate showed moderate antimicrobial action against S. aureus (MIC = 0.05 mg mu L-1). With the results, the conclusion was that the methodology of design of experiments was adequate for the proposed system and allowed the optimization of the production of benzyl benzoate.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the synthesis of benzyl benzoate ester using commercial immobilized lipases, and optimized the production through experimental design. The results showed that the conversion rate of the reaction varied under different conditions, and benzyl benzoate exhibited moderate antimicrobial activity against S. aureus.