Abstract Sol-gel encapsulation is a simple but powerful method to enhance the enantioselectivity of lipase-catalyzed transformations in an isooctane/aqueous buffer solution. Candida rugosa lipase was encapsulated according to a sol-gel procedure in the presence and absence of calix[4]arene hydrazine or carboxylic acid derivatives with Fe<inf>3</inf>O<inf>4</inf> magnetic nanoparticles as an additive. The activity of the encapsulated lipases was evaluated for the enantioselective hydrolysis of racemic Naproxen methyl ester and the hydrolysis of p-Nitrophenylpalmitate. The results indicate that the encapsulated lipase without calix[4]arene derivative has lower conversion and enantioselectivity compared to the encapsulated lipase with calix[4]arene derivative. It was found that the calix[4]arene hydrazine and carboxylic acid-based encapsulated lipases have excellent activity and enantioselectivity (E >300) compared to encapsulated lipase without the calix[4]arene derivatives.