Ring-opening polymerization polyester synthesis

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. 

An alcohol could initiate the ring-opening polymerization of lactones by lipase catalyst ( initiator method ). In the lipase CA-catalyzed polymerization of DDL using 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate as initiator, the methacryloyl group was quantitatively introduced at the polymer terminal, yielding the methacryl-type polyester macromonomer [98]. This methodology was expanded to synthesis of co-alkenyl- and alkynyl-type macromonomers by using 5-hexen-l-ol and 5-hexyn-l-ol as initiator. 

Matsumura S. Enzymatic Synthesis of Polyesters via Ring-Opening Polymerization. Vol. 194, pp. 95-132. 

Agarwal S (2010) Chemistry, chances and limitations of the radical ring-opening polymerization of cyclic ketene acetals for the synthesis of degradable polyesters. Polym Chem 1 953-954... 

Knani D, Gutman AL, Kohn DH (1993) Enzymatic polyesterification in organic media. Enzyme-catalyzed synthesis of linear polyesters. I. Condensation polymerization of linear hydroxyester. II. Ring-opening polymerization of e-caprolactone. J Polym Sci A Polym Chem 31 1221-1232... 

Trollsas M, Lee VY, Mecerreyes D, Ldwenhiehn P, Moller M, Miller RD, Hedrick JL (2000) Hydrophilic aliphatic polyesters design, synthesis, and ring-opening polymerization of functional cyclic esters. Macromolecules 33 4619-4627... 

El Habnouni HS, Darcos V, Coudane J (2009) Synthesis and ring-opening polymerization of a new functional lactone, a-iodo- -caprolactone a novel route to functionalized aliphatic polyesters. Macromol Rapid Commun 30 165-169... 

Blanquer S, Tailhades J, Darcos V, Amblard M, Martinez J, Nottelet B, Coudane J (2010) Easy synthesis and ring-opening polymerization of 5-Z-Amino-8-valerolactone new degradable amino-functionalized (co)polyesters. J Polym Sci A Polym Chem 48 5891-5898... 

The synthesis of polyamides follows a different route from that of polyesters. Although several different polymerization reactions are possible, polyamides are usually produced either by direct amidation of a diacid with a diamine or the self-amidation of an amino acid. The polymerization of amino acids is not as useful because of a greater tendency toward cycliza-tion (Sec. 2-5b). Ring-opening polymerization of lactams is also employed to synthesize polyamides (Chap. 7). Poly(hexamethylene adipamde) [IUPAC poly(iminohexanedioylimi-nohexane-l,6-diyl) or poly(iminoadipoyliminohexane-l,6-diyl)], also referred to as nylon 6/6, is synthesized from hexamethylene diamine and adipic acid [Zimmerman, 1988 Zimmerman and Kohan, 2001]. A stoichiometric balance of amine and carboxyl groups is readily obtained by the preliminary formation of a 1 1 ammonium salt (XU ) in aqueous solution at a concentration of 50%. The salt is often referred to as a nylon salt. Stoichiometric... 

Scheme 1 a Ring-opening polymerization of cyclic esters in the presence of SnOct2 and hydroxo-initiator, and b its application to the synthesis of polysaccharide-gra/t-aliphatic polyesters (or poly(hydroxyalkanoate)s)... 

Lipase Transesterification and direct esterification (inch polyester synthesis) Ring-opening polymerization of 8-caprolactone Hydrolysis alcoholysis acetylation Higher stability of enzyme greater activity catalyst recyclable sometimes higher enantio- and regio-selectivity compared with VOCs... 

Okumara et al. [10] were the first to attempt the enzyme-catalyzed synthesis of oligoesters from a reaction between dicarboxylic acids and diols. Gutman et al. [11] reported the first study on polyester synthesis by enzyme-catalyzed polymerization of A-B type monomers. Two independent groups in 1993 [12, 13] were first to report enzyme-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization (ROP). Their studies focused on 7- and 6-membered unsubstituted cyclic esters, e-caprolactone (e-CL) and 8-valerolactone (8-VL), respectively. 

Lipase-catalyzed synthesis of polyesters came to the focus after two major breakthroughs in 1984, novel lipase-catalyzed polycondensation to give oli-goesters in 1993, discovery of the catalysis for ring-opening polymerization of lactones. 

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