Structure and properties of oil palm-based nanocellulose reinforced chitosan nanocomposite for efficient synthesis of butyl butyrate

• Published in: Carbohydrate polymers 2017-11, Vol.176, p.281-292
• Main Authors: Elias, Nursyafiqah, Chandren, Sheela, Attan, Nursyafreena, Mahat, Naji Arafat, Razak, Fazira Ilyana Abdul, Jamalis, Joazaizulfazli, Wahab, Roswanira Abdul
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Butyl butyrate; Candida rugosa lipase; Chitosan; Nanocellulose; Oil palm biomass
• ISSN: 0144-8617; 1879-1344
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2017.08.097

[Display omitted] •Nanocellulose (NC) from oil palm fronds gave crystallinity index of 70.2%.•Nanocellulose was used as nanofiller in the chitosan-nanocellulose (CS-NC) support.•Air-dried CS-NC gave higher attachment of CRL at 5.2mg/g.•The CRL/CS-NCs gave 76.3% yield of butyl butyrate in 4h. In this study, nanocellulose (NC) was successfully extracted from oil palm frond leaves (OPFL) using a combination of bleaching, alkaline treatment and acid hydrolysis. X-ray diffractogram revealed the extracted NC was crystalline with a crystallinity index of 70.2%. This indicates its suitability as nano-fillers for preparing the chitosan/nanocellulose (CS-NC) supports to immobilize Candida rugosa lipase (CRL) to produce the CRL/CS-NC biocatalysts. FTIR, FESEM and TGA characterizations of the CRL/CS-NC confirm the CRLs were successfully conjugated to the CS-NC supports. The air-dried CS-NC supports gave satisfactory immobilization of the CRLs (5.2mg/g) with the resultant CRL/CS-NCs catalysed conversions of ≥80% of butyl butyrate within 6h. Time course reaction profile revealed that 76.3% butyl butyrate conversion was achieved at 4h immobilization time using 3mg/mL of CRL/CS-NCs. NMR analyses on the purified butyl butyrate confirmed that the ester was successfully synthesized.