Interfacial Photodriven Decarboxylation of Fatty Acids for Hydrocarbon Fuel Production

The photodriven decarboxylation by fatty acid photodecarboxylase from Chlorella variabilis NC64A (CvFAP) has great potential for renewable hydrocarbon fuel production. Herein, we report a new system for CvFAP catalysis by constructing an oil/water interface in a Pickering emulsion. A significant increase in the palmitic acid conversion/conversion rate was achieved in the Pickering emulsion compared to a traditional homogeneous system. On the basis of kinetic analysis, a maximum reaction rate of 0.70 mM/min was achieved via interfacial catalysis, an increase of 42.9% over that in a homogeneous system. The catalytic process in the Pickering emulsion was elucidated by investigating the interaction between the interface and the enzyme. The crude enzyme containing CvFAP was found in the water phase and transferred to the interface via diffusion. Furthermore, rapid diffusion of pentadecane from the interface to the center was observed in a reaction-diffusion model, supporting the enhanced catalytic performance. Overall, the results indicate that interfacial photoenzymatic decarboxylation of fatty acids shows promising performance, which has the potential to significantly improve the hydrocarbon fuel production.