Enzymatic ring-opening polymerisation

Scheme 4.16 Three routes leading to the ROP of PDL. e-ROP Enzymatic ring-opening polymerisation [71]...

Heise and co-workers [45] studied the thiol-ene functionalisation of a polyester synthesised by the enzymatic ring-opening polymerisation (ROP) of globalide (an unsaturated macrolactone prepared from hydroxyl fatty acids) (Scheme 6.15). Authors claimed that this was the first example of the thiol-ene fimctionalisation of a fatty acid-derived polymer. 

Duda A, Kowalski A, Penczek S, Uyama H, Kobayashi S (2002), Kinectics of the ring-opening polymerisation of 6-, 7-, 9-, 12-, 13-, 16-, and 17-membered lactones. Comparison of chemical and enzymatic polymerisations . Macromolecules, 35, 4266 270. 

Knani D, Gutman A L, Kohn D H (1993), Enzymatic polyesterification in organic media. Enzyme-catalyzed synthesis of linear polyesters. I. Condensation polymerisation of linear hydroxyesters. n. Ring-Opening polymerisation of e-caprolactone , J. Polym. Sci. Polym. Chem., 31, 1221-1232. 

PCL catalysed the enzymatic copolymerisation of P-PL with e-CL in bulk at 60 °C. Low MW (Mn = 520) polyesters were produced. Ring-opening copolymerisation of another four-membered lactone, benzyl malolactanate (BML), was enhanced, based on yield and MW, through the addition of small amounts of P-PL. BML was polymerised in the presence of 17 mol% P-PL at 60 °C for 24 h. 

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