Microwave Assisted Enzymatic Synthesis of Fatty Acid Sugar Ester in Ionic Liquid-tert-Butanol Biphasic Solvent System

Abstract

Microwave enhanced enzymatic synthesis of fatty acid sugar ester (FASE), glucose oleate in biphasic solvent system comprising of an ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, [BMIM][BF₄] and tert-butanol were studied comparative to other conventional heating's. The effect of biphasic solvents in synthesizing glucose oleate and optimization of reaction parameters, in terms of temperature, time and lipase were screened in microwave reactor relative to water bath shaker and hot plate stirrer. In microwave, the enzyme screening showed Novozym 435 had the optimal activity at 60 ºC and time 0.5 h and maximum conversion of oleic acid to glucose oleate was 90 %. Microwave proved to be an efficient heating system for glucose oleate synthesis at much reduced time than conventional heatings.