Synthesis of Esters of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural Catalyzed by Lipases in a Continuous Packed-Bed Bioreactor.

This chapter of the book details the experimental methodology for obtaining a 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) ester through enzymatic catalysis. The esterification reaction consists of obtaining 5-acetyl-hydroxymethylfurfural from HMF and ethyl acetate catalyzed by the lipase CALB from immobilized Candida antarctica (Novozym 435®). Esterification is carried out in a batch and continuously packed-bed reactor. The operating conditions in batch mode are 35°C, 100 mM HMF, 0.02 g of biocatalyst, and 5 mL of reaction volume. In continuous mode, the reaction was carried out using a stainless-steel column of 0.4 cm internal diameter and 12.6 cm long, packed with 0.5 g of biocatalyst. The operating conditions are 35°C, 100 mM HMF, and flows of 0.02, 0.05, and 0.1 mL/min. Continuous esterification stands out over the batch mode for its simplicity of operation and high productivity.