Improvement of the activation of lipase from Candida rugosa following physical and chemical immobilization on modified mesoporous silica

• The graft ratios of P-RSMS, C-RSMS, and G-RSMS were systematically investigated.
• Effects of modification methods on d100, a0, D, S, V, and TP of RSMS were studied.
• Mechanism of CRL chemical immobilization on G-RSMS was proposed.
• G-RSMS-CRL showed higher activity, thermal stability, and reusability.
• Immobilized CRL was employed to catalyze the resolution of 2-octanol.

Lipase from Candida rugosa (CRL) was chemically and physically immobilized onto four types of rod-shaped mesoporous silica (RSMS). RSMS prepared using surfactant P123 and poly(ethylene glycol) as co-templates was functionalized with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) to obtain P-RSMS by post-synthesis grafting. Tetraethoxysilane was hydrothermally co-condensed with APTES to obtain C-RSMS. A two-step process using APTES and glutaraldehyde was also performed to obtain G-RSMS. The effects of modification methods (including post-synthesis grafting and co-condensation) and glutaraldehyde on the mesoscopic order, interplanar spacing d100, cell parameter a0, mesoporous structure, and wall thickness of RSMS were studied in detail. Results showed that all samples were mesoporous materials with 2D mesostructures (p6mm). Pore size and d100 decreased, whereas the wall thickness increased after different modifications. CRL was used as a model enzyme to determine the effect of physical and chemical adsorption on loading amount and enzymatic activity. The possible mechanism of CRL immobilization on G-RSMS by chemical adsorption was systematically investigated. The chemical immobilization of CRL on G-RSMS increased the loading amount, hydrolytic activity, thermal stability, and reusability. Moreover, immobilized CRL was employed to catalyze the resolution of 2-octanol by esterification with caprylic acid. The enantiomeric excess of 2-octanol was 45.8% when the reaction was catalyzed by G-RSMS-CRL and decreased to about 38%–39% using the physically immobilized CRL, after 48 h of reaction in hexane.

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