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Lipase‐Catalyzed Ring‐Opening Polymerization of Lactones in the Presence of Aliphatic Polyesters to Ester Copolymers
Author(s) -
Namekawa Shuhei,
Uyama Hiroshi,
Kobayashi Shiro
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
macromolecular chemistry and physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.57
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1521-3935
pISSN - 1022-1352
DOI - 10.1002/1521-3935(20010301)202:6<801::aid-macp801>3.0.co;2-j
Subject(s) - polyester , transesterification , polymerization , copolymer , lipase , polymer chemistry , ring opening polymerization , polymer , catalysis , chemistry , materials science , organic chemistry , enzyme
Ring‐opening polymerization of macrolides in the presence of aliphatic polyesters has been performed using Pseudomonas lipase as catalyst to produce ester copolymers with molecular weights of several thousands. The polymerization behavior was monitored by SEC and NMR. 13 C NMR analysis showed that the resulting polymer was not a mixture of the starting polyester and the polymer from the macrolide, but a random copolymer consisting of both units. These data indicate that the lipase catalyzed the polymerization of the macrolide as well as the intermolecular transesterification of the starting and resulting polymers. The random copolymer was found to be highly crystalline by DSC and WAXD measurement. The present specific catalysis of the lipase was applied to the synthesis of ester copolymers by transesterification between two different polyesters.