Industrialization of enzyme-catalyzed biodiesel production has been hindered by low conversion efficiency and
long reaction time. As a representative example, Rhizopus oryzae lipase (ROL) exhibited a poor performance in
biodiesel production. However, higher yields and shorter reaction time could be achieved by screening different
lipases that could synergically catalyze the reaction with ROL. The results showed that Novozym 435 combined
with ROL displayed the best performance, with a biodiesel yield that was 30% higher than that of ROL alone in
30 h. Hence, the use of a synergic strategy was investigated systematically. Under optimized conditions, the biodiesel
yield was as high as 98.3% and the reaction time was successfully shortened from 60 h to 21 h. Moreover,
the combined lipases retained a yield of about 80% after 20 cycles in a solvent-free system. In addition to ROL, the
performance of other lipases whose regioselectivity were similar to ROL was improved when they were combined
with Novozym 435. In conclusion, synergic catalysis is a promising strategy for enhancing biodiesel yield
and minimizing reaction time for ROL