Issue 4, 2013

How to produce biodiesel easily using a green biocatalytic approach in sponge-like ionic liquids

Abstract

Hydrophobic ionic liquids (ILs) based on cations with long alkyl side-chains (e.g. N-octadecyl-N′,N′′,N′′′-trimethylammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([C18tma][NTf2])) are switchable ionic liquid/solid phases with temperature that behave as sponges. As liquid phases, they are excellent monophasic reaction media for lipase-catalyzed methanolysis of triolein, resulting in fast and efficient biodiesel synthesis, e.g. up to 100% yield in 8 h at 60 °C, with exceptional enzyme stability (up to 1370 days half-life time at 60 °C). As solid phases, the reaction mixture can easily be fractionated by iterative centrifugations at controlled temperature into three phases, i.e. solid IL, glycerol and pure biodiesel. A straightforward and sustainable approach for producing biodiesel has been developed, allowing full recovery and reuse of the biocatalyst–IL system for successive cycles and suitable for scaling-up.

Graphical abstract: How to produce biodiesel easily using a green biocatalytic approach in sponge-like ionic liquids

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
20 Dec 2012
Accepted
20 Feb 2013
First published
20 Feb 2013

Energy Environ. Sci., 2013,6, 1328-1338

How to produce biodiesel easily using a green biocatalytic approach in sponge-like ionic liquids

P. Lozano, J. M. Bernal, G. Sánchez-Gómez, G. López-López and M. Vaultier, Energy Environ. Sci., 2013, 6, 1328 DOI: 10.1039/C3EE24429F

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