Lipase-Catalyzed Esterification of Ferulic Acid with Oleyl Alcohol in Ionic Liquid/Isooctane Binary Systems

Lipase-catalyzed synthesis offerulic acid oleyl alcohol ester in an ionic liquid (IL)/isooctane system was investigated. Considerable bioconversion and volumetric productivity were achieved in inexpensive 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([Hmim][PF 6 ]) and 1-methyl-3-octylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([O mim ][PF 6 ]) mediated systems, and thus, the two types of ILs were selected for further optimization of variables. The results showed that, before reaching a maximum, the increase offerulic acid concentration, temperature, or enzyme dosage led to an increase in volumetric productivity. Variations of the ratios of IL/isooctane and concentrations of oleyl alcohol also profoundly affected the volumetric productivity. To a higher extent, [Hmim][PF 6 ]/isooctane and [Omim][PF 6 ]/isooctane show similar reaction behaviors. Under the optimized reaction conditions (60 °C, 150 mg of Novozym 435 and 100 mg of molecular sieves), up to 48.50 mg/mL productivity of oleyl feruleate could be achieved for the [Hmim][PF 6 ]/isooctane (0.5 mL/1.5 mL) system with a substrate concentration of ferulic acid of 0.08 mmol/mL and oleyl alcohol of 0.32 mmol; while an optimum volumetric productivity of 26.92 mg/mL was obtained for the [Omim] [PF 6 ]/ isooctane (0.5 mL/1.5 mL) system under a similar reaction condition other than the substrate concentrations of ferulic acid at 0.05 mmol/mL and oleyl alcohol at 0.20 mmol.