Biocatalytic Solvent‐Free Polymerization To Produce High Molecular Weight Polyesters

Environmentally benign chemical synthesis is a central thrust in the current U.S. research arena. Production of polymers contributes to pollution during synthesis and after use. Thus, the synthesis of a biodegradable plastic by “green” technology could have a real impact. Indeed, such a polymer produced by microorganisms is already a commercial product (Biopol). Unfortunately, however, cellular synthesis remains limited by the cost of downstream processing and the fact that the synthesis is aqueous‐based, and it is impossible to perform the synthesis in the absence of a solvent. Bulk polymerization is the standard method for polyester synthesis. The research reported herein describes an enzyme‐catalyzed polymer synthesis in which there is no solvent. This bulk polymerization mirrors conventional synthesis but eliminates the needs for extremes of temperature and corrosive acid catalysts. This paper represents the first rapid and efficient synthesis of polyesters from bulk polymerization under ambient conditions with very low concentrations of a biocatalyst. The effects of parameters influencing the molecular weight and end‐group fuctionality have been studied by following the progress of polymerization.