Continuous Flow Synthesis of Hexyl Laurate Using Immobilized Thermomyces Lanuginosus Lipase from Residual Babassu Mesocarp

Brazil has one of the greatest biodiversities on the planet, where various crops play a strategic role in the country's economy. Among the highly appreciated biomasses is babassu, whose oil extraction generates residual babassu mesocarp (BM), which still needs new strategies for valorization. This work aimed to use BM as a support for the immobilization of Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase (TLL) in an 8.83 mL packed-bed reactor, followed by its application as a biocatalyst for the synthesis of hexyl laurate in an integrated process. Initially, the percolation of a solution containing 5 mg of TLL at 25 °C and flows ranging from 1.767 to 0.074 mL min^-1 was investigated, where at the lowest flow rate tested (residence time of 2 h), it was possible to obtain an immobilized derivative with hydrolytic activity of 504.7 U g^-1 and 31.7 % of recovered activity. Subsequent studies of treatment with n-hexane, as well as the effect of temperature on the immobilization process, were able to improve the activities of the final biocatalyst BM-TLLF, achieving a final hydrolysis activity of 7023 U g^-1 and esterification activity of 430 U ⋅ g^-1 against 142 U g^-1 and 113.5 U g^-1 respectively presented by the commercial TLIM biocatalyst. Desorption studies showed that the TL IM has 18 mg of protein per gram of support, compared to 4.92 mg presented by BM-TLL. Both biocatalysts were applied to synthesize hexyl laurate, achieving 98 % conversion at 40 °C within 2 h. Notably, BM-TLLF displayed exceptional recyclability, maintaining catalytic efficiency over 12 cycles. This reflects a productivity of 180 mg of product ⋅ h^-1 U^-1 of the enzyme, surpassing 46 mg h^-1 U^-1 obtained for TLIM. These results demonstrate the efficacy of continuous flow technology in creating a competitive and integrated process offering an exciting alternative for the valorization of residual lignocellulosic biomass.