MPEG-Supported Syntheses Using Enzymes

Oligosaccharide syntheses employing enzymatic reactions would in principle greatly benefit from being performed on a polymer support since the support might effectively facilitate isolation of the final product. Presumably, a water-soluble polymeric support will be preferable to any insoluble support since reaction rates could otherwise become too slow. Glycosidases as synthetic enzymes would be the best candidates to study this type of the enzymic approach to oligosaccharide synthesis. 

One problem identified at the outset was that MPEG or a monosaccharide DOX-MPEG as acceptors had to be presented to a glucosidase in a concentration, which renders the solution quite viscous at 37°C, and consequently the reaction becomes very slow.47 Below this acceptor concentration threshold, reaction yields were very low. Enzymes from thermophilic bacteria working at higher temperatures 

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