Esterification Conditions Research Articles

From organic waste to renewable energy: response surface methodology approach for optimized biodiesel production from palm weevil larvae (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus)

AbstractThis study aimed to improve the production of biodiesel from white palm larvae (WPL) and to evaluate its potential as a feedstock. The larvae were grown using kitchen and palm waste for 21 days, and the crude oil was then extracted. The extracted oil was analyzed for its physicochemical properties and fatty acid composition. The analysis found that the feedstock oil contained a high quantity of monounsaturated fatty acids, indicating its suitability for biodiesel production. To optimize the production process, response surface methodology (RSM) was employed. A central composite design was used to study four operating conditions: temperature, methanol‐to‐oil mole ratio, esterification time, and catalyst loading for esterification, as well as transesterification time and catalyst concentration. The best conditions for esterification were a methanol‐to‐oil ratio of 18:1, a temperature of 70 °C, 120 min of reaction time, and a 4% H2SO4 catalyst. For transesterification, the optimal conditions were a methanol‐to‐oil ratio of 10:1, a temperature of 65 °C, 90 min of reaction time, and a 2% KOH catalyst concentration. The experimental data fit well with models, with significant P‐values and high R2 values. The biodiesel produced under the optimized conditions met the fuel quality standards set by Brazilian, European, and American standards. In conclusion, this study successfully optimized the biodiesel production process from white palm larvae and confirmed its suitability as a feedstock. The feedstock oil had properties that were suitable for biodiesel production, and the optimized conditions resulted in biodiesel that met fuel‐quality standards.

Corncob waste derived carbon with sulfonic acid group: An efficient heterogeneous catalyst for production of ethyl levulinate as biodiesel additives

Alkyl levulinate is a biomass-based chemical compound used as a fuel additive. This research aims to produce ethyl levulinate from levulinic acid and ethanol using esterification with the assistance of a heterogeneous sulfonated carbon catalyst. The carbon sulfonate catalyst is obtained from corncob waste that has undergone carbonization at 300 °C and sulfonation using sulfuric acid at a temperature of 150 °C for 8 h. The catalyst is used for esterification with predetermined operating variables using Box-Behnken Design (BBD) on the response surface methodology (RSM). The result shows significant variables for ethyl levulinate esterification are catalyst loading and esterification time. The FTIR analysis indicates the presence of S=O bonds in the sulfonated carbon catalyst. The XRD and SEM analysis shows that the sulfonated carbon catalyst is in amorphous and mesoporous form. Catalyst reusability demonstrates that the corncob-derived carbon sulfonate catalyst can be used up to 3 times. The optimum condition for esterification is 9 h of reaction, 10 % catalyst loading, and a molar ratio of levulinic acid to ethanol of 1:10, which has 83.15 % conversion. These results present the optimum parameter conditions for an efficient heterogeneous catalyst from corncob for producing ethyl levulinate.

Efficient production of biodiesel from palm fatty acid distillate using a novel hydrochar-based solid acid catalyst derived from palm leaf waste

To combat fuel shortages, pollution, and the exhaustion of natural oil resources, an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels, such as biodiesel, is essential for meeting global transportation demands. A novel heterogeneous acid catalyst for production of biodiesel from low-cost, high free fatty acid feedstocks was synthesized in this study by activating and impregnating hydrochar from palm leaf (PL) waste with H3PO4 and H2SO4. Subsequently, the sulfonated catalyst was utilized for the esterification of palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD). FT-IR, XRD, FESEM, EDX, BET, TGA, and surface acidity methods were employed to characterize the acid catalyst. Using the one-variable-at-a-time (OVAT) technique, the optimized reaction conditions for esterification of PFAD using the hydrochar-based catalyst were 4 wt% catalyst loading, 353.15 K reaction temperature, 4 h reaction time, and 18:1 methanol: PFAD molar ratio. At these conditions, a maximum biodiesel yield of 93.56% was achieved. The catalyst exhibited excellent reusability and stability throughout five reaction cycles, maintaining biodiesel yields above 80% after each cycle. Analysis of the fuel properties revealed that the biodiesel derived from PFAD met the physiochemical criteria outlined in ASTM D6751, the American biodiesel standard. The kinetic study revealed that the esterification reaction followed pseudo-first-order kinetics with an activation energy (Ea) of 23.70 kJ/mol. Furthermore, the thermodynamic enthalpy (∆H*) and Gibbs' free energy (∆G*) of esterification were 20.9 and 33.41 kJ/mol, respectively, indicating that the reaction was an endothermic and non-spontaneous process.

Preparation and characterization of self-aggregating micelles from stearic acid-modified burdock root polysaccharide

In order to obtain amphiphilic polysaccharide self-assembly micelles, the hydrophobic modification by grafting stearic acid (SA) onto the backbone of burdock root polysaccharide (BRP) was carried out and its main physicochemical properties were characterized. The results showed that the optimal esterification conditions were as follows: reaction time of 2 h, reaction temperature of 55 ℃, system pH of 8.0 and the SA addition of 4 mmol, a maximum substitution degree (DS) of the esterification products was obtained as 0.1012. The FTIR analysis verified that the modified polysaccharide successfully introduced the ester carbonyl group. 1H NMR spectra further confirmed that the esterification reaction occurred. The SA-modified BRP micelles were roughly spherical with uniform dispersion and the particle size was in the range of 259–352 nm, which showed a negative correlation with the DS. The solubility of the esterification products also decreased. The smaller critical micelle concentration (CMC) led to easier formation of self-aggregating micelles and stronger solubilization effect. The above results indicated that SA-modified BRP as a novel carrier material possessed potential to deliver hydrophobic active substances.Graphical

Direct esterification of amides by the dimethylsulfate-mediated activation of amide C–N bonds

Amides are important intermediates in organic chemistry and the pharmaceutical industry, but their low reactivity requires catalysts and/or severe reaction conditions for esterification. Here, a novel approach was devised to convert amides into esters without the use of transition metals. The method effectively overcomes the inherent low reactivity of amides by employing dimethylsulfate-mediated reaction to activate the C-N bonds. To confirm the proposed reaction mechanism, control experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were conducted. The method demonstrates a wide array of substrates, including amides with typical H/alkyl/aryl substitutions, N,N-disubstituted amides, amides derived from alkyl, aryl, or vinyl carboxylic acids, and even amino acid substrates with stereocentres. Furthermore, we have shown the effectiveness of dimethylsulfate in removing acyl protective groups in amino derivatives. This study presents a method that offers efficiency and cost-effectiveness in broadening the esterification capabilities of amides, thereby facilitating their increased utilization as synthetic compounds in diverse transformations.

Magnetic biocatalytic nanoreactors based on graphene oxide with graded reduction degrees for the enzymatic synthesis of phytosterol esters

As we know, the carriers of enzymatic nanoreactors with different amphipathy have significant influence on the interfacial enzyme activities and its performance. In this study, the magnetic graphene oxide (GO) enzyme carriers were constructed by assembling graphene oxide with different reduction degrees (rGO(x)) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) modified nano-flowery Fe3O4 into composite materials through electrostatic interactions, and x here represents the reduction reaction hours of GO. The SEM, TEM, contact angles and BET tests qualified the ideal enzyme carrier, PEI-Fe3O4-rGO(12), by adsorption-crosslinking method, the Candida rugosa lipase (CRL) was immobilized to obtain the lipase nanoreactor, PEI-Fe3O4-rGO(12)@CRL. The nano-sheet and nano-flower structures provided a larger specific surface area and suitable pore size, and the CRL had higher protein load on the carrier material (163.11 mg/g). In addition, using hydrolyzed p-nitrophenol palmitate as the model, the PEI-Fe3O4-rGO(12)@CRL can still show 76.5 % residual activity after 8 repeated uses. At the same time, the immobilized lipase showed good catalytic performance in the biosynthesis of phytosterol esters. The optimal esterification conditions were determined by single factor experiment (isooctane, sterol concentration 150 μmol/mL, alkyd molar ratio 1:2, enzyme dosage 120 mg, 26 h, 55 °C, the esterification rate was 76.24 %). Therefore, the optimal biocatalyst PEI-Fe3O4-rGO(12)@CRL may has good performance in the biosynthesis of other novel foods.

Lipase-catalyzed interesterification of Sunite sheep tail fat and flaxseed oil provides a fat having a unique fatty acid content and favorable physicochemical and nutritional properties.

The aim of this study is to combine flaxseed oil (FO), rich in α-linolenic acid (ALA), with Sunite sheep tail fat (STF) through a lipase-catalyzed transesterification reaction, in order to produce an edible oil with a fatty acid ratio suitable for human needs. Initially, the optimal conditions for esterification were determined using the Box-Behnken design, with the measurement criterion being the content of ALA at the sn-2 position. The results indicated that the highest content of sn-2 ALA was obtained under the conditions of using 6.8 wt% Lipozyme®RMIM as the catalyst, a reaction temperature of 57°C, a reaction time of 3.3 h, and a substrate mass ratio of 5.6:4.4 for STF and FO. This led to the rapid breaking and recombining of molecular bonds, resulting in the interesterified fat (IF) with the highest content of ALA at the sn-2 position. Comparing STF and FO, IF exhibited excellent fatty acid composition and content. Furthermore, IF had a lower melting point and crystallization temperature compared to STF, and its solid fat content decreased with increasing temperature, completely melting at temperatures above 30°C. Thus, IF is a synthesized fat with excellent properties from both animal and vegetable sources.

Ultrasound intensification of two‐stage biodiesel production: optimization for palm empty fruit bunch oil as a palm oil industry by‐product

AbstractPalm empty fruit bunch oil (palm EFB oil) is a waste product that can be used to produce biodiesel at a low cost. However, high free fatty acid (FFA) content is the primary obstacle to biodiesel production. Before the transesterification process can begin, the oil must be esterified to reduce its acid content. This study seeks to employ dual‐frequency ultrasound at frequencies of 28 kHz (200 W) and 40 kHz (200 W) to aid in the esterification and transesterification of ZSM‐5‐38 and CaO catalysts, respectively. Central composite design and response surface methodology were used to determine the optimal conditions for the three primary parameters of methanol to oil (M:O molar ratio), catalyst loading and reaction time. A 12:1 M:O molar ratio, 11.36 wt% catalyst loading (ZSM‐5‐38) and 60 min of reaction duration were the optimal conditions for esterification to achieve a FFA conversion of 91.51%. The reusability of ZSM‐5‐38 revealed a decrease in FFA conversions of 87.36, 75.11, 67.13 and 58.68% with each reused cycle. The optimal transesterification conditions were a 3.28:1 M:O molar ratio, 4.62 wt% catalyst loading (CaO) and 64 min of reaction time, yielding 83.58% biodiesel. The viscosity value (D 445), the flash point (D 93) and the heating value (ASTM D240) of biodiesel produced under optimal conditions were evaluated. The biodiesel properties were determined to be 4.7931 mm2/s, 176°C and 40 398 kJ/kg, respectively.

Steglich esterification: A versatile synthetic approach toward the synthesis of natural products, their analogues/derivatives

The exploitation of natural products and their analogues in the field of pharmacology has been regarded as of great importance. It can be attributed to the fact that these scaffolds exhibit diverse chemical properties, distinct biological activities and zenith specificity in their biochemical processes, enabling them to act as favorable structures for lead compounds. The synthesis of natural products has been a crafty and hard-to-achieve task. Steglich esterification reaction has played a significant role in that area. It is a mild and efficient technique for constructing ester linkages. This technique involves the establishment of ester moiety via a carbodiimide-based condensation of a carboxylic acid with an alcohol, thiol or an amine catalyzed by dimethyl aminopyridine (DMAP). Specifically, labile reagents with multiple reactive sites are esterified efficiently with the classical and modified Steglich esterification conditions, which accounts for their synthetic utility. This review encloses the performance of the Steglich esterification reaction in forging the ester linkage for executing the total synthesis of natural products and their derivatives since 2018.

A synthesis of post‐esterified oxidized starch accompanied with physicochemical property analysis and esterification reaction condition optimization

AbstractEsterification is a normal method for starch modification while reaction condition is not clear. Here, pure corn starch and vinyl acetate were chosen for starch esterification. Reaction conditions involving esterifying agent content, pH, reaction time and temperature were explored. Dess‐Martin periodinane (DMP) pretreatment was adopted to accelerate esterification. Main results reveal that a content of 30 wt% vinyl acetate, pH = 9, time as 1 h and temperature as 45°C is an optimized condition for vinyl acetate esterification and DMP oxidization can enhance it. After modification, variations in microstructure, surface morphology and macroscopic properties such as viscosity, transparency, adhesion property were explored by FT‐IR, XRD, SEM, TGA, UV–Vis, viscosity, and slushing experiments. Main results reveal that after esterification carbonyl groups were introduced, lattice plane occurred expansion, surface morphology was destroyed, water absorption capacity, viscosity, and gelatinization temperature decreased while transparency, thermal‐stability and adhesion property increased. DMP treatment enhanced the previous variations. It seems via a middle‐level DMP pretreatment and vinyl acetate esterification starch solution viscosity and gelatinization temperature decreased greatly while transparency and adhesion force increased greatly, possibly having a potential use in textile industry. For instance, using as slurry its manufacture cost can be decreased with decreased energy consumption, economical.

Synthesis and its biological activity of carboxymethyl hemicellulose p-hydroxybenzoate (P-CMHC)

Hemicellulose extracted from ecalyptus APMP pulping waste liquor and undergoes etherification modification to produce carboxymethyl hemicellulose (CMHC). Subsequently, CMHC undergoes esterification reaction with p-hydroxybenzoic acid to synthesize a novel polysaccharide-based preservative known as carboxymethyl hemicellulose p-hydroxybenzoate (P-CMHC). The synthesis conditions of P-CMHC were optimized using the response surface methodology, resulting in an optimal esterification condition that achieved a degree of substitution of 0.232. P-CMHC exhibits excellent antioxidant activity, including 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities. Additionally, it demonstrates favorable hygroscopic and moisturizing properties. Thiazole blue (MTT) experiments evaluating cell proliferation rate indicate that P-CMHC possesses negligible cytotoxicity, making it a promising, safe, and healthy preservative. Consequently, it can be considered as a new material for applications in the fields of biomedicine, food, and cosmetics.

Carbon-Based Solid Acid Catalyzed Esterification of Soybean Saponin-Acidified Oil with Methanol Vapor for Biodiesel Synthesis

In this study, carbon-based solid acids were used to catalyze the esterification of soybean saponin-acidified oil (SSAO) with methanol vapor for the synthesis of biodiesel. The esterification conversion under different conditions was determined, and the catalyst components were determined using acid-base titration, elemental analysis, and inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy. The results showed that the conversion of SSAO under the optimal esterification conditions (i.e., catalyst loading of 6 wt%, methanol/oil molar ratio of 50:1, reaction temperature of 76 °C, and reaction time of 4 h) was 98.9%. The conversion was still higher than 80% after the catalyst was reused for four batches. The methanol vapor esterification (MVE) effectively mitigated the leaching of sulfonic acid groups and the production of sulfonate esters, while the activated white clay adsorption can significantly reduce the metal ion content in SSAO, which weakens its ion exchange with sulfonic acid groups. MVE for biodiesel synthesis is less costly compared to liquid methanol esterification because of the high recovery of methanol and the improved catalyst stability. Therefore, the addition of methanol in the form of vapor in the carbon-based solid acid-catalyzed esterification system is an effective way to maintain the catalyst activity and reduce the production cost of biodiesel.

28-O-Acetyl-3-O′-(prop-2-enoyl)betulin

28-Acetylbetulin is a good starting compound for the synthesis of 3- or 3,28-substituted betulin derivatives with biological activity. The final product of the reaction of 28-acetylbetulin and acrylic acid under Steglich esterification conditions produced a new 3-alkenyl betulin derivative. The structure of the obtained compound was confirmed based on the analysis of NMR, IR, EI MS, and HRMS spectra. Selected pharmacokinetic parameters related to the absorption and distribution were calculated for the new betulin derivative using in silico methods.

Optimization and theoretical analysis of lipase-catalyzed enzymatic esterification of glycerol for efficient glycerides synthesis

Eversa® Transform 2.0 is a lipase derived from Thermomyces lanuginosus produced by a genetically modified microorganism. It has a low production cost, high substrate specificity, and high catalytic activity in organic synthesis. The Taguchi method was used to evaluate the best conditions for the enzymatic esterification of glycerol with acetic acid. A yield of 84.8% was obtained, under the optimal conditions (temperature = 40 °C; molar ratio glycerol/acid = 1:1; biocatalyst = 15% w/w; time = 12.5 h). After the statistical analysis, the temperature was found to be the most significant parameter influencing the reaction conversion. A theoretical study was carried out to generate a homology model of the enzyme, based on other natural lipases. Molecular docking, molecular dynamics, and QM/MM simulations were applied to understand the mechanism of esterification and to derive thermodynamic and kinetic data. The nucleophilic attack step was identified as the rate-limiting step for both acylation (13.1 kcal/mol) and deacylation (13.8 and 12.9 kcal/mol) reaction mechanisms. Although the enzyme is capable of esterifying all three alcohol groups of glycerol, the esterification of the primary alcohols is thermodynamically more favorable (5 kcal/mol), especially at higher temperatures, than their secondary counterpart.

Enzymatic synthesis of citronellyl butyrate by lipase B from Candida antarctica immobilized on magnetic cashew apple bagasse lignin

The enzymatic biotransformation of terpenic alcohols allows the selective production of new compounds with improved bioactivity. However, few studies are performed using enzymes mainly immobilized on natural material. In this context, Candida antarctica lipase B (CAL-B) was immobilized on lignin extracted from cashew apple bagasse conjugated with magnetic nanoparticles, and used in the synthesis of citronellyl butyrate. The immobilization process took place predominantly by adsorption and interfacial activation, followed by covalent bonds. The enzymatic load of 5 mgPROTEIN/gSUPPORT was chosen because it generated a catalyst (Lig-MNPs_CALB) with the highest catalytic activity (12.6 U/g) and yield of 71.5%. Lig-MNPs_CALB maintained 65% of its activity after 96 h of exposure at 50 °C and 73% after 60 days stored at 4 °C. In the synthesis of citronellyl butyrate by CAL-B in both forms, the optimal esterification conditions were 50 °C, 1:1 molar ratio (alcohol:acid), 10 mgPROTEIN/mL and 200 RPM. The esterification yield was higher in the process catalyzed by Lig-MNPs_CALB (96.4%) compared to catalyzed by free CAL-B (55%) at 24 h, and the Lig-MNPs_CALB maintained its activity for 10 cycles. Also, the antibacterial activity of citronellol in its esterified form has been improved, and citronellyl butyrate showed antifungal activity.

Debranching facilitates malate esterification of waxy maize starch and decreases the digestibility

In this study, the debranching followed by malate esterification was employed to prepare malate debranched waxy maize starch (MA-DBS) with a high degree of substitution (DS) and low digestibility using malate waxy maize starch (MA-WMS) as the control. The optimal esterification conditions were obtained using an orthogonal experiment. Under this condition, the DS of MA-DBS (0.866) was much higher than that of MA-WMS (0.523). A new absorption peak was generated at 1757 cm−1 in the infrared spectra, indicating the occurrence of malate esterification. Compared with MA-WMS, MA-DBS had more particle aggregation, resulting in an increase in the average particle size from scanning electron microscopy and particle size analysis. The X-ray diffraction results showed that the relative crystallinity decreased after malate esterification, in which the crystalline structure of MA-DBS almost disappeared, which was consistent with the decrease of decomposition temperature by thermogravimetric analysis and the disappearance of the endothermic peak by differential scanning calorimeter. In vitro digestibility tests showed an order: WMS > DBS > MA-WMS > MA-DBS. The MA-DBS showed the highest content of resistant starch (RS) of 95.77 % and the lowest estimated glycemic index of 42.27. In a word, pullulanase debranching could produce more short amylose, promoting malate esterification and improving the DS. The presence of more malate groups inhibited the formation of starch crystals, increased particle aggregation, and enhanced resistance to enzymolysis. The present study provides a novel protocol for producing modified starch with higher RS content, which has potential application in functional foods with a low glycemic index.

Construction of the novel PMA@Bi-MOF catalyst for effective fatty acid esterification

A novel Bi-based metal-organic framework impregnated phosphomolybdic acid (PMA@Bi-MOF) catalyst has been fabricated via a simple hydrothermal procedure, and successfully applied in the preparation of biodiesel using oleic acid (OA) as the raw material. The PMA@Bi-MOF composites were exhaustively characterized with the help of FTIR, XRD, TPD-NH3, SEM-EDX, N2-physisorption, TGA, and XPS analyses. Experimental findings showed that the PMA@Bi-BTC exhibited a higher activity than that of PMA@Bi-BDC and Bi-BTC, attributed to its textural property, the presence of more acid sites with higher strength, and synergistic catalytic effects between PMA and Bi-BTC. The optimum conditions for esterification of OA, with a conversion of up to 92.5%, were found to be a molar ratio of methanol to OA of 20:1 and 0.15g PMA@Bi-BTC catalyst at 160 °C in 3 h. Meanwhile, reused studies indicated that the OA conversion reached more than 80% after seven reaction cycles. Furthermore, the activation energy of esterification catalyzed by PMA@Bi-BTC was also calculated as 54.8 kJ/mol. It is expected that our study provides an efficient route to biofuel production involving polyoxometalates/MOF synergistic catalysts.

Lipase B from Candida antarctica in Highly Saline AOT-Water-Isooctane Reverse Micelle Systems for Enhanced Esterification Reaction

Butyl oleate synthesis by the lipase B from Candida antarctica (CalB) under extreme halophilic conditions was investigated in the present research through the AOT/Water/Isooctane reverse micellar system. The impact of aqueous content (Wo=H2OSurfactant) and NaCl variation on the enzymatic activity of CalB in the butyl oleate reaction in reverse micelles was explored. The results indicated that, based on the increase of NaCl, it is remarkable to achieve higher enzymatic activity up to 444.85 μmolmin at 5 M NaCl and Wo = 10, as the best esterification conditions at pH 7.2 and 30 °C. However, it was clear that butyl oleate synthesis by lipase CalB increased based on the reduction in the average reverse micelle size, where reverse micelle sizes were determined by dynamic light scattering (DLS). This increase in butyl oleate synthesis demonstrated the potential of reverse micelles as systems that enhance mass transport phenomena in heterogeneous biocatalysis. Furthermore, reverse micelles are promising systems for extreme halophilic lipases research.

Substitution of liquid methanol with methanol vapour increases the activity and stability of carbon-based solid acid catalysts in biodiesel production process

The effect of methanol vapour esterification (MVE) on the catalyst activity and reusability was investigated using methanol vapour (MV) instead of liquid methanol for the esterification reaction of oleic acid catalysed by a carbon-based solid acid catalyst (CSAC) S150-4. The conversion yield for the MVE was 98.8 % at a catalyst loading of 4 wt%, methanol/oleic acid molar ratio of 40:1, reaction temperature of 76 °C and reaction time of 4 h. When the catalyst loading is increased to 10 wt%, S150-4 repeatedly catalysed MVE up to the eighth batch, while still achieving 83.4 % conversion. The turnover frequency and number of catalyst reuses were twice as high for MVE as in liquid methanol esterification (LME) under the optimal esterification conditions for both modalities. When compared to LME, MVE achieved a combination of a large amount of methanol and oleic acid in a short time, increasing the conversion yield while reducing the average contact time between methanol and the acidic groups on the surface of the CSAC, resulting in less leaching and chemical derivatization of the sulphonic acid groups from the catalyst in MVE. The production cost of methyl oleate in MVE was 19.1 % lower than that for LME. Therefore, the application of MVE as an alternative to conventional esterification is an effective way to extend the life of CSACs.

Three-Dimensional Sulfated Bacterial Cellulose/Gelatin Composite Scaffolds for Culturing Hepatocytes.

The liver is the hub of human metabolism and involves many diseases. To better work on the mechanism and treatment of liver diseases, it is of particular interest to design 3-dimensional scaffolds suitable for culturing hepatocytes invitro to simulate their metabolic and regenerative abilities. In this study, sulfated bacterial cellulose (SBC) was prepared as the building block of cell scaffolds, motivated by the anionic nature and 3-dimensional structure of hepatic extracellular matrix, and its reaction condition for sulfate esterification was optimized by changing the reaction time. The analysis and study of the microscopic morphology, structure, and cytocompatibility of SBCs showed that they possess good biocompatibility and meet the requirements for tissue engineering. Next, SBC was mixed with gelatin for composite scaffolds (SBC/Gel) for culturing hepatocytes by homogenization and freeze-drying methods, whose physical properties such as pore size, porosity, and compression properties were compared with gelatin (Gel) scaffolds as the control group, and the cytological activity and hemocompatibility of the composite scaffolds were investigated. The results showed that the SBC/Gel composite has better porosity and compression properties, as well as good cytocompatibility and hemocompatibility, and could be applied to 3-dimensional culture of hepatocytes for drug screening or liver tissue engineering.