Simple and green one-pot process for the production of fatty acids via enzymatic hydrolysis of methyl esters catalyzed by free liquid lipases
Wail Gourich, Cher Pin Song, Amelia, Siti Hanifah Adiiba, Eng‐Seng Chan
Abstract
Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) and fatty acid (FA) are important oleochemical intermediates that have various chemical and pharmaceutical applications. The conversion of FA to FAME via esterification is well-established, but the reverse process is not. Herein, we explored the feasibility of producing FA in a simple one-pot process via the enzymatic hydrolysis of FAME using free liquid lipases. Two different commercial lipases were investigated, i.e., Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) and Eversa® Transform 2.0 (ET2). Interestingly, both lipases were efficient in converting FAME to FA with no side reactions between the two compounds at near-ambient temperatures and atmospheric pressure. The thermodynamic and kinetic studies revealed that CALB and ET2 could achieve the highest FAME conversions of 72 and 63%, respectively, within 36 h of reaction at their optimum operating conditions. Furthermore, the conversion of FAME to FA was found to be independent of the FAME carbon chain length at high enzyme loadings. Conclusively, we have demonstrated the feasibility of converting FAME to FA using free liquid lipases, serving as a foundational study for the potential development of an alternative process route that is simple and environmentally sustainable for oleochemical production at industrial scale.