Development of Biocatalysts Based on Lipase B From Candida antarctica Immobilized on Magnetic Poly(Styrene‐Co‐Divinylbenzene) for Application in Esterification Reactions

Immobilizing enzymes on magnetic supports offers the advantage of easy separation of these biocatalysts from the reaction medium. This advantage is particularly beneficial in more viscous media, such as in fatty acid esterification. This study reports the preparation of heterogeneous biocatalysts based on magnetic polystyrene and Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB). The polymers were prepared using varying degrees of dilution of the monomer mixture to investigate the relationship between particle morphology and immobilization parameters. The biocatalysts were evaluated in esterification reactions by varying the temperature and the fatty acid chain length. The biocatalyst BioS100, derived from a polymer prepared at 100% dilution degree, had an immobilization yield of 82.0% and esterification activity of 493.0 U g −1 . The acid‐to‐ester conversion of free CALB was lower than that of the heterogeneous biocatalysts at all temperatures tested, indicating that the presence of the carrier enhanced the enzyme's thermal stability. The heterogeneous biocatalyst demonstrated high conversions in the esterification of palmitic, stearic, and oleic acids. The heterogeneous biocatalyst BioS100 was successfully applied in 10 consecutive esterification reactions without any reduction in ethyl oleate conversion (%), demonstrating its operational stability and ease of recovery, and highlighting its potential for large‐scale applications.