Syntheses and characterization of nanozeolites-enzymes complexes and their use as heterogeneous catalysts in the production of biodiesel by trans esterification of Palm Oil and algae oils (Dunaliella Salina and Haematococcus pluvialis) with ethanol

Abstract

The possibility of using synthetic zeolites as inorganic solid supports for the immobilization of enzymes has open an window of opportunities to prepare alternative heterogeneous catalysts that combine the main advantages of enzymatic catalysts with those of the zeolitic catalysts. Although there are several studies in the literature describing the immobilization and the physic -chemical and catalytic behavior of lipases from different sources on micrometric zeolites of different | crystallographic strucutures, a careful review of the literature will show a lack of information about the use of nanozeolites as inorganic solid support for the immobilization of lipases and the application of these complexes nanozeolites-enzymes as catalyst for the production of biodiesel by transesterification reaction of vegetable oils with ethanol. The main goal of this research project is the syntheses of several and different nanaozeolites of different crystallographic structures such as BEA, FAU, LTA, MFI, TS-1 zeolites and their use as inorganic solid support for the immobilization of different lipases enzymes. The lipases enzymes that will be immobilized will be from different sources and the main ones are Rhizomucor meihei, Thermomyces lanuginosos, Candida antarctica, Burkholderia cepacia. These new nanozeolites-enzymes complexes will be characterized by XRD, NMR-MAS, FT-IR, AFM and will tested for biodiesel production by the transesterification of Palm oil and algae oils (Dunaliella Salina e Haematococcus pluvialis) with ethanol. (AU)