catalysts Review Recent Trends in Biomaterials for Immobilization of Lipases for Application in Non-Conventional Media Robson Carlos Alnoch 1,2 , Leandro Alves dos Santos 3 , Janaina Marques de Almeida 2, Nadia Krieger 3 and Cesar Mateo 4,* 1 Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-900, São Paulo, Brazil;
[email protected] 2 Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Cx. P. 19081, Centro Politécnico, Curitiba 81531-980, Paraná, Brazil;
[email protected] 3 Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Cx. P. 19061, Centro Politécnico, Curitiba 81531-980, Paraná, Brazil;
[email protected] (L.A.d.S.);
[email protected] (N.K.) 4 Departamento de Biocatálisis, Instituto de Catálisis y Petroleoquímica (CSIC), Marie Curie 2, Cantoblanco, Campus UAM, 28049 Madrid, Spain * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +34-915854768; Fax: +34-915854860 Received: 18 May 2020; Accepted: 18 June 2020; Published: 20 June 2020 Abstract: The utilization of biomaterials as novel carrier materials for lipase immobilization has been investigated by many research groups over recent years. Biomaterials such as agarose, starch, chitin, chitosan, cellulose, and their derivatives have been extensively studied since they are non-toxic materials, can be obtained from a wide range of sources and are easy to modify, due to the high variety of functional groups on their surfaces. However, although many lipases have been immobilized on biomaterials and have shown potential for application in biocatalysis, special features are required when the biocatalyst is used in non-conventional media, for example, in organic solvents, which are required for most reactions in organic synthesis.