Esters from branched alcohols and dicarboxylic linear acids are widely used as lube bases due to their good performance at low temperatures. This work proposes a new process to synthesize bis(2-ethylbutyl) adipate and bis(2-ethylbutyl) sebacate by using the lipase-based catalyst Novozym® 435 in a solvent-free system. Different reaction strategies have been tested in order to minimize 2-ethyl-1-butanol losses due to its evaporation and optimum operation conditions have been determined: 2.5% of biocatalyst, 50 °C and a molar excess of alcohol of 15% for the adipic diester and of 25% for the sebacic one. It has also been proven that the immobilized enzyme can be reused in seven successive reaction cycles, achieving high yields without an appreciable reduction of activity. This biocatalytic pathway is a promising basis for the development of a more sustainable large scale process for obtaining biodegradable lubricants, as it is pointed out by productivity, economic and green metrics calculations.

支链醇和线性二羧酸的酯由于它们在低温下的良好性能而被广泛用作润滑油碱。这项工作提出了一种在无溶剂系统中使用基于脂肪酶的催化剂 Novozym® 435 合成己二酸双（2-乙基丁基）酯和癸二酸双（2-乙基丁基）酯的新工艺。已经测试了不同的反应策略，以最大限度地减少 2-乙基-1-丁醇由于其蒸发而造成的损失，并确定了最佳操作条件：2.5% 的生物催化剂、50°C 和 15% 的摩尔过量醇用于己二酸二酯和 25% 的癸二酸酯。还证明固定化酶可以在七个连续的反应循环中重复使用，在不明显降低活性的情况下实现高产率。