Utilization of acid oils in making surface-active compounds by lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis and esterification reactions

Abstract

Nonionic surface-active molecules were made from acid oils such as mustard, sunflower, rice bran, soybean, coconut, polyethylene glycols (PEG) of varying molecular weights (200, 300, 400, 600), using processes based on lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis with Candida cylindracea lipase and esterification with Mucor miehei lipase. Both the PEG molecular weight and the acid oil influence the yield of ester. Molar concentration of reactants also influences the rate and yield of ester. Surface tension values of ester products reveal that maximal lowering of surface tension of water occurs in the case of PEG 600 and coconut acid oil ester. This work demonstrates an important technological advance in the synthesis of nonionic surfactants of the alkyl ethoxylate type from a variety of acid seed oils in high yields by using lipase technology involving first hydrolysis and then esterification with another lipase.