Mohammad Kalantari - Department of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology. Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Sharif University of Technology
Ayyoob Arpanaei - Department of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
Mohammad Kazemeini - Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Sharif University of Technology
Fatemeh Tabandeh - Department of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology

Multifunctional Fe3O4 clusters/nonporous SiO2/mesoporous SiO2 (core/shell/shell) nanocomposite particles were prepared in order to develop a lipase-based recyclable nanobiocatalyst used in the biofuel production. Magnetite nanoparticles were synthesized by coprecipitation method and their clusters were coated by a silica thin shell using the modified Stöber method. Through a template removing approach, a mesoporous silica shell was formed on the nonporous silica. Calcination method in the presence of complex salts was used to expand the pore size of nanoparticles. The obtained nanoparticles possess superparamagnetism, high magnetization, high mean pore diameter (28.5 nm), high surface area (26 m2/g), and large pore volume (0.187 cm3/g). Once nanocomposite particles were prepared, lipase molecules were covalently immobilized onto nanocomposite particles by using glutaraldehyde as an activating agent. Finally, the loading and activity of the immobilized lipase were measured.

Immobilization, Lipase, Magnetite Nanoparticles, Nonporous Silica, Porous Silica