Solvent-free biocatalytic interesterification of acrylate derivatives

The ability of diverse commercial lipases and whole cells (fungal resting cells) to synthesise allyl and dichloropropyl acrylate from allyl dodecanoate through an interesterification process is presented. The process was carried out without solvent in a conventional batch system. The best biocatalyst among those studied was the commercial enzyme CALB (Candida antarctica lipase B immobilised onto a macroporous acrylic resin). The reaction was sensitive to water activity, and a decrease in the yield was observed at the highest activity studied. CALB could also be applied to diverse acrylic derivatives, although the yields decreased using either ethyl methacrylate or acrylic acid.

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► Crude glycerol and fatty acids or oils/fats (also agrofood wastes) were used as starting materials to obtain allyl acrylates.
► Biocatalytic interesterification reaction in a solvent-free system.
► The reactions were carried out using an equimolar ratio of allyl dodecanoate and ethyl acrylate.
► Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) was the best biocatalyst using two different amounts of enzyme (3.3% and 15%, w/w).
► A decrease in the conversion yield was observed when the highest water activity was used.