Lipase immobilization on siliceous supports: Application to synthetic reactions

In the last quarter century, immobilization of lipases has rapidly grown into a field of converging knowledge on material science, chemical engineering, biochemistry, etc. The majority of the cumulative work on lipase immobilization has been done on silica (Si) based supports. Researchers have investigated the effect of different Si architectures such as monolith, particles and aerogels on the properties of the immobilized lipase. These heterogenous catalysts have proved efficient in synthetic reactions such as biodiesel formation, where, unlike other supports, siliceous materials are able to resist nonaqueous media, providing stability and reusability. The use of numerous sources of this type of enzymes assures the universality of silica for lipase immobilization. This work summarizes the immobilization strategies and functionalization methods on siliceous materials that have provided a fundamental technology base to exploit the power of lipases as biocatalyts.