Emollient esters synthesis catalyzed by immobilized lipase on styrene-based polymers with magnetic properties

Abstract

The present project aims to synthesize emollient esters, which are very often used in cosmetic formulations due to acting as moisturizing agents and balancing skin oiliness, with microbial lipase immobilization on styrene-based copolymers that were magnetized by co-precipitation of Fe+2and Fe+3 ions as catalysts. Its development is aimed at strengthening a line of research in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Engineering School of Lorena (EEL). The selected proposal for producing the present work comprises the development of magnetically active and stable biocatalysts which are going to be employed in the production of an important class of carboxylic esters, aiming at its implementation in the cosmetic sector, especially for cosmetic formulations in skincare. For such a purpose, it will be firstly established optimal conditions of magnetic copolymer synthesis in order to obtain a hybrid support with appropriate characteristics for further microbial lipase immobilization. It will be conducted by physical adsorption with which different methods for drying the biocatalyst are going to be studied. Both the morphological characterization of the synthesized supports and the determination of biochemical and kinetic properties of the obtained immobilized derivatives are going to be conducted. Afterwards, it is going to be evaluated the performance of different systems being immobilized by esterification reactions in a solvent medium with the purpose of synthesizing long-chain esters which act as emollients in cosmetic industries. As a result, a comprehensive analysis of reaction parameters is going to be carried out in order to select the best operational conditions for the bioprocess by the design of experiments, aiming at a possible application in continuous processes. In this way, the contribution of the present project is the development of national technologies of enzymatic processes as viable alternatives to conventional chemical processes in order to manufacture products of industrial, economic, environmental and social interest. (AU)