Hydrolysis of 1,2-diacetoxypropane by Immobilized Lipase on Cellulose Acetate-TiO2 Gel Fiber Derived from the Sol-Gel Method

Lipase from Rhizomucor miehei was entrap-immobilized on cellulose acetate-TiO₂ gel fiber by the sol-gel method. This fiber-immobilized lipase was stable in a phosphate buffer solution and easy to handle. The enantioselective hydrolysis of 1,2-diacetoxypropane catalyzed by this immobilized lipase could be performed in buffer solution unlike the lipase immobilized on an alginate matrices. The enantioselectivity was improved in presence of this fiber-immobilized lipase compared with the hydrolysis catalyzed by the native lipase. This finding indicates that the active site structure of lipase immobilized on fiber was retained to some extent, though the enzyme conformation may become flexible in presence of water. We also compared the properties of this fiber-immobilized lipase with native lipase and commercially available immobilized lipase from Rhizomucor miehei, viz., Lipozyme.