Enhancing Biocatalyst Performance Through Immobilization of Lipase (eversa® Transform 2.0) on Hybrid Amine-Epoxy Core-Shell Magnetic Nanoparticles

Magnetic nanoparticles were functionalized with polyethylenimine (PEI) and activated with epoxy. This support was used to immobilize Lipase (Eversa (R) Transform 2.0) (EVS), optimization using the Taguchi method. XRF, SEM, TEM, XRD, FTIR, TGA, and VSM performed the characterizations. The optimal conditions were immobilization yield (I.Y.) of 95.04 +/- 0.79 %, time of 15 h, ionic load of 95 mM, protein load of 5 mg/g, and temperature of 25 degrees C. The maximum loading capacity was 25 mg/g, and its stability in 60 days of storage showed a negligible loss of only 9.53 % of its activity. The biocatalyst demonstrated better stability at varying temperatures than free EVS, maintaining 28 % of its activity at 70 degrees C. It was feasible to esterify free fatty acids (FFA) from babassu oil with the best reaction of 97.91 % and ten cycles having an efficiency above 50 %. The esterification of produced biolubricant was confirmed by NMR, and it displayed kinematic viscosity and density of 6.052 mm(2)/s and 0.832 g/cm(3), respectively, at 40 degrees C. The in-silico study showed a binding affinity of -5.8 kcal/mol between EVS and oleic acid, suggesting a stable substrate-lipase combination suitable for esterification.