Enzymatic polyesters

With findings of Doi and coworkers who proposed a two-step reaction for enzymatic polyester hydrolysis, namely adsorption of the depolymerase to the polymer and subsequent hydrolysis [62,63]. 

Kim D-Y, Dordick JS (2001) Combinatorial array-based enzymatic polyester synthesis. Biotechnol Bioeng 76 200-206... 

Marcilla R, De Geus M, Mecerreyes D et al (2006) Enzymatic polyester synthesis in ionic liquids. Eur Polym J 42 1215-1221... 

In the present chapter, the current status of enzymatic polyester synthesis is described. For information on the enzymatic synthesis of chiral polyesters and polyester block copolymers using enzymatic polymerizations please refer to Chapters 11 and 12 respectively. 

Various substituted lactones were used for enzymatic polyester synthesis via ROP ( )-a-methyl- 3-propiolactone [101], P-methyl-P-propiolactone [78], a-decenyl-P-propiolactone [27], a-dodecenyl-P-propiolactone [46],benzyl-P-D,L-malonolactonate [104], a-methyl-e-caprolactone [96], oc-methyl-8-valerolactone [96], l,4-dioxane-2-one [91], and others (see also Table 4.2). 

The most extensively studied enzymatic polymerization system is that of polyesters via polycondensations or ring-opening polymerizations. The state of the art of in vitro enzymatic polyester synthesis is reviewed in Chapter 4. 

Hie ester linkage of aliphatic and aliphatic-aromatic copolyesters can easily be cleaved by hydrolysis under alkaline, acid, or enzymatic catalysis. This feature makes polyesters very attractive for two related, but quite different, applications (i) bioresorbable, bioabsorbable, or bioerodible polymers and (ii) environmentally degradable and recyclable polymers. 

The reported molar masses of polyesters obtained by enzymatic catalysis are relatively low, generally below 8000, except for polymers recovered by precipitation.336 This procedure results in the elimination of a soluble fraction consisting of low-molar-mass linear and cyclic oligomers.336 An Mw as high as 46,400 has thus been reported for a poly(tetramethylene decanedioate) obtained... 

More recently, Heise and coworkers have shown that DKR can be combined with enzymatic polymerization for the synthesis of chiral polyesters from racemic secondary diols in one pot [34] (Figure 4.12). 

Nagata M, Kiyotsukuri T, Ibuki H, Tsutsumi N, and Sakai W. Synthesis and enzymatic degradation of regular network aliphatic polyesters. React Fund Polym, 1996, 30, 165-171. 

More definitive evidence of enzymatic attack was obtained with 1 1 copolymers of e-caprolactone and 6-valerolactone crosslinked with varying amounts of a dilactone (98,99). The use of a 1 1 mixture of comonomers suppressed crystallization and, together with the crosslinks, resulted in a low-modulus elastomer. Under in vitro conditions, random hydrolytic chain cleavage, measured by the change in tensile properties, occurred throughout the bulk of the samples at a rate comparable to that experienced by the other polyesters no weight loss was observed. However, when these elastomers were implanted in rabbits, the bulk hydrolytic process was accompanied by very rapid surface erosion. Weight loss was continuous, confined to the... 

Enzymes are generally classified into six groups. Table 1 shows typical polymers produced with catalysis by respective enzymes. The target macromolecules for the enzymatic polymerization have been polysaccharides, poly(amino acid)s, polyesters, polycarbonates, phenolic polymers, poly(aniline)s, vinyl polymers, etc. In the standpoint of potential industrial applications, this chapter deals with recent topics on enzymatic synthesis of polyesters and phenolic polymers by using enzymes as catalyst. 

In polyester synthesis via ring-opening polymerizations, metal catalysts are often used. For medical applications of polyesters, however, there has been concern about harmful effects of the metallic residues. Enzymatic synthesis of a metal-free polyester was demonstrated by the polymerization of l,4-dioxan-2-one using Candida antarctica lipase (lipase CA). Under appropriate reaction conditions, the high molecular weight polymer (molecular weight = 4.1 x 10" ) was obtained. 

Enzymatic synthesis of aliphatic polyesters was also achieved by the ringopening polymerization of cyclic diesters. Lactide was not enzymatically polymerized under mild reaction conditions however, poly(lacfic acid) with the molecular weight higher than 1 x 10" was formed using lipase BC as catalyst at higher temperatures (80-130°C). Protease (proteinase K) also induced the polymerization however, the catalytic activity was relatively low. 

The enzymatic synthesis of polyesters from activated diesters was achieved under mild reaction conditions. The polymerization of bis(2,2,2-trichloroethyl) glutarate and 1,4-butanediol proceeded in the presence of PPL at room temperature in diethyl ether to produce the polyesters with molecular weight of 8.2 x 10. Vacuum was applied to shift the equilibrium forward by removal of the activated alcohol formed, leading to the production of high molecular weight polyesters. The polycondensation of bis(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) sebacate and aliphatic diols took place using lipases BC, CR, MM, and PPL as catalyst in diphenyl ether. Under the... 

Aromatic polyesters were efficiently synthesized from aromatic diacid divinyl esters. Lipase CA induced the polymerization of divinyl esters of isoph-thalic acid, terephthalic acid, and p-phenylene diacetic acid with glycols to give polyesters containing aromatic moiety in the main chain. The highest molecular weight (7.2 x 10 ) was attained from a combination of divinyl isophthalate and 1,10-decanediol. Enzymatic polymerization of divinyl esters and aromatic diols also afforded the aromatic polyesters. ... 

Lipase-catalyzed synthesis of polyesters from cyclic anhydrides and oxi-ranes was reported. The polymerization took place by PPL catalyst and the molecular weight reached 1 x 10" under the selected reaction conditions. During the polymerizahon, the enzymatically formed acid group from the anhydride may open the oxirane ring to give a glycol, which is then reacted with the anhydride or acid by lipase catalysis, yielding the polyesters. 

Epoxide-containing polyesters were enzymatically synthesized via two routes using unsaturated fatty acids as starting substrate (Scheme 11)." Lipase catalysis was used for both polycondensation and epoxidation of unsaturated fatty acid group. One route was synthesis of aliphatic polyesters containing an... 

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