Biopolymers polymer synthesis/structure

Chemistry physics chemical engineering materials science organic chemistry inorganic chemistry physical chemistry analytical chemistry differential equations computer science structures and reactions of macromolecular compounds kinetics and mechanisms of polymer synthesis plastics engineering synthetic rubber engineering biopolymers molecular biology biochemistry biophysics. 

Gel electrophoresis is widely used in the routine analysis and separation of many well-known biopolymers such as proteins or nucleic acids. Little has been reported concerning the use of this methodology for the analysis of synthetic polymers, undoubtedly since in many cases these polymers are not soluble in aqueous solution - a medium normally used for electrophoresis. Even for those water-soluble synthetic polymers, the broad molecular weight dispersities usually associated with traditional polymers generally preclude the use of electrophoretic methods. Dendrimers, however, especially those constructed using semi-controlled or controlled structure synthesis (Chapters 8 and 9), possess narrow molecular weight distribution and those that are sufficiently water solubile, usually are ideal analytes for electrophoretic methods. More specifically, poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) and related dendrimers have been proven amendable to gel electrophoresis, as will be discussed in this chapter. 

Preparation of modified, bacterial polysaccharides having monosaccharide analogs inserted into the polymeric chain is of interest for study of the structure-properties relationship in these biopolymers. Incorporation of chemically prepared, modified, biosynthetic precursors of the polymers in enzymic reactions seems a promising approach for achieving this aim. Such an approach, which may be termed chemical-enzymic synthesis, has now been studied by our group,439-441 using O-specific polysaccharides (10-12) of Salmonella serogroups B and E as an example. 

In Chapter 4, we will discover that the field of polymer science essentially began when scientists chemically modified natural polymers to prepare new materials with improved properties. Some of these reactions are still commercially important today. However, the specificity in the structures of most biopolymers themselves makes their laboratory synthesis extremely difficult. 

Polyketide synthases, fatty acid synthases, and non-ribosomal peptide synthetases are a structurally and mechanistically related class of enzymes that catalyze the synthesis of biopolymers in the absence of a nucleic acid or other template. These enzymes utilize the common mechanistic feature of activating monomers for condensation via covalently-bound thioesters of phosphopantetheine prosthetic groups. The information for the sequence and length of the resulting polymer appears to be encoded entirely within the responsible proteins. 

Biopolymers are either synthesized by template-dependent or template-independent enzymatic processes. For the synthesis of nucleic acids and proteins a template is required, whereas all other polymers are synthesized by template-independent processes. The templates for nucleic acids are desoxyribonucleic acids or ribonucleic acids depending on the type of nucleic acid synthesized. For proteins, the template is messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA). This has different impacts on the structure and on the molecular weights (MWs) of the polymers. Although both nucleic acids and proteins are copolymers with each type consisting of 4 or 22 different constituents, respectively, the distribution of the constituents is absolutely defined by the matrix and is not random. Furthermore, each representative of the two polymers has a defined MW. Polymers synthesized in template-dependent processes are monodisperse. All this is different in polymers synthesized by template-independent processes first of all, these polymers are polydisperse secondly, if these polymers are copolymers, the distribution of the constituents is more or less fully random. 

Biocomposites are very fascinating materials since they offer characteristics of two or more different materials, in order to have very specific features that would be practically impossible to obtain by every single material of biocomposite. Chitin is an abundant biopolymer obtained from shrimp, insects and some vegetal species. This material is capable to remove some contaminants like fluoride from water. Nevertheless, in order to improve the mechanical characteristics of chitin, in order to be applied in water treatment in real conditions, it must be supported. Polyurethane is a very versatile polymer due to its chemical structure. During its synthesis, interactions between functional groups take place in order to create the urethane group. The synthesis of biocomposite must bear in mind that interaction between compounds is essential to create a mechanical and chemical resistant material. FTIR with ATR analysis was carried out to characterize a biocomposite based on chitin and polyurethane, demonstrating that interaction between them occurs. 

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