Enzymatic biocatalysis is a sustainable technology. Enzymes are versatile and highly efficient biocatalysts, and have been widely employed due to their biodegradable nature. However, because the three-dimensional structure of these enzymes is predominantly maintained by weaker non-covalent interactions, external conditions, such as temperature and pH variations, as well as the presence of chemical compounds, can modify or even neutralize their biological activity. The enablement of this category of processes is the result of the several advances in the areas of molecular biology and biotechnology achieved over the past two decades. In this scenario, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are highlighted as efficient supports for enzyme immobilization. They can be used to ‘house’ a specific enzyme, providing it with protection from environmental influences. This review discusses MOFs as structures; emphasizes their synthesis strategies, properties, and applications; explores the existing methods of using immobilization processes of various enzymes; and lists their possible chemical modifications and combinations with other compounds to formulate the ideal supports for a given application.

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Several studies have shown the development of electrochemical biosensors based on enzymes immobilized in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). Although enzymes have unique properties, such as efficiency, selectivity, and environmental sustainability, when immobilized, these properties are improved, presenting significant potential for several biotechnological applications. Using MOFs as matrices for enzyme immobilization has been considered a promising strategy due to their many advantages compared to other supporting materials, such as larger surface areas, higher porosity rates, and better stability. Biosensors are analytical tools that use a bioactive element and a transducer for the detection/quantification of biochemical substances in the most varied applications and areas, in particular, food, agriculture, pharmaceutical, and medical. This review will present novel insights on the construction of biosensors with materials based on MOFs. Herein, we have been highlighted the use of MOF for biosensing for biomedical, food safety, and environmental monitoring areas. Additionally, different methods by which immobilizations are performed in MOFs and their main advantages and disadvantages are presented.

A theoretical and experimental study was carried out on the biocatalytic production of babassu biodiesel through enzymatic hydroesterification. The complete hydrolysis of babassu oil was carried out using a 1:1 mass solution at 40 °C for 4 h using 0.4% of lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus (TLL). Then, with the use of Eversa® Transform 2.0 lipase in the esterification step, a statistical design was used, varying the temperature (25–55 °C), the molar ratio between free fatty acids (FFAs) and methanol (1:1 to 1:9), the percentage of biocatalyst (0.1% to 0.9%), and the reaction time (1–5 h) using the Taguchi method. The ideal reaction levels obtained after the statistical treatment were 5 h of reaction at 40 °C at a molar ratio of 1:5 (FFAs/methanol) using 0.9% of the biocatalyst. These optimal conditions were validated by chromatographic analysis; following the EN 14103 standard, the sample showed an ester concentration of 95.76%. A theoretical study was carried out to evaluate the stability of Eversa with FFAs. It was observed in the molecular docking results that the ligands interacted directly with the catalytic site. Through molecular dynamics studies, it was verified that there were no significant conformational changes in the studied complexes. Theoretical and experimental results show the feasibility of this process.

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