Lipases Immobilized onto Nanomaterials as Biocatalysts in Biodiesel Production: Scientific Context, Challenges, and Opportunities

Lipases have significant biotechnological potential as catalysts in organic synthesis reactions in a non-aqueous medium using simplified processes with high yields. Besides that, incorporating this large-scale technology requires the use of economically viable techniques such as enzyme immobilization onto nanomaterials. Moreover, the main interest in immobilizing an enzyme is to obtain a biocatalyst, which presents better conditions regarding the activity, selectivity, stability, and purification of these proteins compared to their free form. Here, we review some of the properties of lipases and their applications, discussing some of the problems that free form lipases may cause, presenting as solutions the immobilization techniques and the application of immobilized lipases. Furthermore, the use of nanomaterials, their properties, and importance in immobilization techniques are discussed. This study presents a review of the advantages and recent developments in preparing lipases immobilized on nanomaterials as biocatalyst for sustainable biodiesel production.