Optimized Conditions for In Situ Immobilization of Lipase in Aldehyde-silica Packed Columns

Optimal conditions for the in situ immobilization of lipase in aldehyde-silica packed columns, via reductive amination, were investigated. A reactant mixture, containing lipase and sodium borohydride (NaCBH), was recirculated through an aldehyde-silica packed column, such that the covalent bonding of the lipase, via amination between the amine group of the enzyme and the aldehyde terminal of the silica, and the reduction of the resulting imine group by NaCBH, could occur inside the bed, in situ. Mobile phase conditions in the ranges of pH $7.0{\~}7.8$, temperatures between $22{\~}28^{circ}C$ and flow rates from $0.8{\~}1.5\;BV/min$ were found to be optimal for the in situ immobilization, which routinely resulted in an immobilization of more than 70 mg­lipase/g-silica. Also, the optimal ratio and concentration for feed reactants in the in situ immobilization: mass ratio [NaCBH]/[lipase] of 0.3, at NaCBH and lipase concentrations of 0.75 and 2.5 g/L, respectively, were found to display the best immobilization characteristics for concentrations of up to 80 mg-lipase/g-silica, which was more than a 2-fold increase in immobilization compared to that obtained by batch immobilization. For tributyrin hydrolysis, the in situ immobilized lipase displayed lower activity per unit mass of enzyme than the batch-immobilized or free lipase, while allowing more than a $45\%$ increase in lipase activity per unit mass of silica compared to batch immobilization, because the quantity of the immobilization on silica was aug­mented by the in situ immobilization methodology used in this study.