Enzymatic Synthesis of Polyesters via Ring-Opening Polymerization

Recyclable and (Bio)degradable Polyesters in a Circular Plastics Economy

Polyesters carrying polar main-chain ester linkages exhibit distinct material properties for diverse applications and thus play an important role in today's plastics economy. It is anticipated that they will play an even greater role in tomorrow's circular plastics economy that focuses on sustainability, thanks to the abundant availability of their biosourced building blocks and the presence of the main-chain ester bonds that can be chemically or biologically cleaved on demand by multiple methods and thus bring about more desired end-of-life plastic waste management options. Because of this potential and promise, there have been intense research activities directed at addressing recycling, upcycling or biodegradation of existing legacy polyesters, designing their biorenewable alternatives, and redesigning future polyesters with intrinsic chemical recyclability and tailored performance that can rival today's commodity plastics that are either petroleum based and/or hard to recycle. This review captures these exciting recent developments and outlines future challenges and opportunities. Case studies on the legacy polyesters, poly(lactic acid), poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate)s, poly(ethylene terephthalate), poly(butylene succinate), and poly(butylene-adipate terephthalate), are presented, and emerging chemically recyclable polyesters are comprehensively reviewed.

Achievements and Trends in Biocatalytic Synthesis of Specialty Polymers from Biomass-Derived Monomers Using Lipases

New technologies for the conversion of biomass into high-value chemicals, including polymers and plastics, is a must and a challenge. The development of green processes in the last decade involved a continuous increase of the interest towards the synthesis of polymers using in vitro biocatalysis. Among the remarkable diversity of new bio-based polymeric products meeting the criteria of sustainability, biocompatibility, and eco-friendliness, a wide range of polyesters with shorter chain length were obtained and characterized, targeting biomedical and cosmetic applications. In this review, selected examples of such specialty polymers are presented, highlighting the recent developments concerning the use of lipases, mostly in immobilized form, for the green synthesis of ε-caprolactone co-polymers, polyesters with itaconate or furan units, estolides, and polyesteramides. The significant process parameters influencing the average molecular weights and other characteristics are discussed, revealing the advantages and limitations of biocatalytic processes for the synthesis of these bio-based polymers.

Enzymatic Synthesis of Poly(alkylene succinate)s: Influence of Reaction Conditions

Application of lipases (preferentially Candida antarctica Lipase B, CALB) for melt polycondensation of aliphatic polyesters by transesterification of activated dicarboxylic acids with diols allows to displace toxic metal and metal oxide catalysts. Immobilization of the enzyme enhances the activity and the temperature range of use. The possibility to use enzyme-catalyzed polycondensation in melt is studied and compared to results of polycondensations in solution. The experiments show that CALB successfully catalyzes polycondensation of both, divinyladipate and dimethylsuccinate, respectively, with 1,4-butanediol. NMR spectroscopy, relative molar masses obtained by size exclusion chromatography, MALDI-TOF MS and wide-angle X-ray scattering are employed to compare the influence of synthesis conditions for poly(butylene adipate) (PBA) and poly(butylene succinate) (PBS). It is shown that the enzymatic activity of immobilized CALB deviates and influences the molar mass. CALB-catalyzed polycondensation of PBA in solution for 24 h at 70 °C achieves molar masses of up to Mw~60,000 g/mol, higher than reported previously and comparable to conventional PBA, while melt polycondensation resulted in a moderate decrease of molar mass to Mw~31,000. Enzymatically catalyzed melt polycondensation of PBS yields Mw~23,400 g/mol vs. Mw~40,000 g/mol with titanium(IV)n-butoxide. Melt polycondensation with enzyme catalysis allows to reduce the reaction time from days to 3–4 h.

Enzymatically Triggered Jack-in-the-Box-like Hydrogels

Enzymes can support the synthesis or degradation of biomacromolecules in natural processes. Here, we demonstrate that enzymes can induce a macroscopic-directed movement of microstructured hydrogels following a mechanism that we call a "Jack-in-the-box" effect. The material's design is based on the formation of internal stresses induced by a deformation load on an architectured microscale, which are kinetically frozen by the generation of polyester locking domains, similar to a Jack-in-the-box toy (i.e., a compressed spring stabilized by a closed box lid). To induce the controlled macroscopic movement, the locking domains are equipped with enzyme-specific cleavable bonds (i.e., a box with a lock and key system). As a result of enzymatic reaction, a transformed shape is achieved by the release of internal stresses. There is an increase in entropy in combination with a swelling-supported stretching of polymer chains within the microarchitectured hydrogel (i.e., the encased clown pops-up with a pre-stressed movement when the box is unlocked). This utilization of an enzyme as a physiological stimulus may offer new approaches to create interactive and enzyme-specific materials for different applications such as an optical indicator of the enzyme's presence or actuators and sensors in biotechnology and in fermentation processes.

Penicillium fellutanum lipase as a green and ecofriendly biocatalyst for depolymerization of poly (ɛ-caprolactone): Biochemical, kinetic, and thermodynamic investigations

Microbial lipases hold a prominent position in biocatalysis by their capability to mediate reactions in aqueous and nonaqueous media. Herein, a lipase from Penicillium fellutanum was biochemically characterized and investigated its potential to degrade poly (ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL). The lipase exhibited stability over a broad pH spectrum and performed best at pH 8.5 and 45 °C. The activation energy was determined to be 66.37 kJ/mol by Arrhenius plot, whereas K_m and V_max for pNPP hydrolysis were 0.75 mM and 83.33 μmol/mL/Min, respectively. A rise in temperature reduced the Gibbs free energy, whereas the enthalpy of thermal unfolding (∆H*) remains the same up to 54 °C following a modest decline at 61 °C. The entropy (∆S*) of the enzyme demonstrated an increasing trend up to 54 °C and dropped at 61 °C. Lipase retained stability by incubation with various industrially relevant organic solvents (benzene, hexanol, ether, and acetone). However, exposure to urea and guanidine hydrochloride influenced its catalytic activity to different extents. Under optimal operating conditions, lipase catalyzed the excellent degradation of PCL film degradation leading to 66% weight loss, increased surface erosion, and crystallinity. Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry, differential scanning calorimetry, and scanning electron microscopy studies monitored the weight loss after enzymatic hydrolysis. The findings indicate that P. fellutanum lipase would be a prospective biocatalytic system for polyesters depolymerization and environmental remediation.

Enzymatic polymerization to polyesters in nonaqueous solvents

Aliphatic polyesters are thermoplastic and biodegradable polymers with promising potentials to substitute synthetic polymers derived from petrochemicals. In particular, polylactides (PLAs) and other polylactones can be renewable and biocompatible. A more benign approach for polyester synthesis is the enzymatic polycondensation or ring-opening polymerization (ROP) reactions, whose outcomes largely depend on the reaction conditions including solvents, water content and temperature. This chapter illustrates several examples of enzymatic polymerization to polyesters using various solvents (i.e., organic solvents, supercritical fluids, ionic liquids, and aqueous biphasic systems). Hydrophobic solvents containing little water tend to promote the enzymatic polymerization and lead to high molecular masses of polyesters. Since some enzymatic polymerization reactions are performed at high temperatures (such as ring-opening polymerization of lactide at >100°C), these processes demand solvents with high boiling points (such as many ionic liquids). Supercritical fluids (such as supercritical CO₂) can be "green" solvents, but their compatibility with enzymes and their practicability of scaling up remain as challenges. On the other hand, ionic liquids can be tailored to be compatible with enzymes and to have high thermal stability although the studies of their uses in enzymatic polycondensation and ROP reactions are still at an early stage.

Enzymatic Ring-Opening Polymerization (ROP) of Polylactones: Roles of Non-Aqueous Solvents

Aliphatic polyesters such as polylactides (PLAs) and other polylactones are thermoplastic, renewable and biocompatible polymers with high potentials to replace petro-chemical-based synthetic polymers. A benign route for synthesizing these polyesters is through the enzyme-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization (ROP) reaction; this type of enzymatic process is very sensitive to reaction conditions such as solvents, water content and temperature. This review systematically discusses the crucial roles of different solvents (such as solvent-free or in bulk, organic solvents, supercritical fluids, ionic liquids, and aqueous biphasic systems) on the degree of polymerization and polydispersity. In general, many studies suggest that hydrophobic organic solvents with minimum water contents lead to efficient enzymatic polymerization and subsequently high molecular weights of polyesters; the selection of solvents is also limited by the reaction temperature, e.g. the ROP of lactide is often conducted at above 100 °C, therefore, the solvent typically needs to have its boiling point above this temperature. The use of supercritical fluids could be limited by its scaling-up potential, while ionic liquids have exhibited many advantages include their low-volatility, high thermal stability, controllable enzyme-compatibility, and a wide range of choices. However, the fundamental and mechanistic understanding of the specific roles of ionic liquids in enzymatic ROP reactions is still lacking. Furthermore, the lipase specificity towards l- and d-lactide is also surveyed, followed by the discussion of engineered lipases with improved enantioselectivity and thermal stability. In addition, the preparation of polyester-derived materials such as polyester-grafted cellulose by the enzymatic ROP method is briefly reviewed.

Improving Pseudomonas fluorescens esterase for hydrolysis of lactones

Although both acyclic esters and lactones contain ester functional groups, their shapes differ and most esterases are poor catalysts for hydrolysis of lactones.

Hyperbranched polyphosphates: synthesis, functionalization and biomedical applications

Hyperbranched polyphosphates (HBPPs) are newly emerged polymeric biomaterials with repeating phosphate bonds in a highly branched framework over the past 5 years. Due to the integration of the advantages of both hyperbranched polymers and polyphosphates, HBPPs are versatile in chemical structure, flexible in physicochemical properties, water soluble, biocompatible and biodegradable in biological features. On the basis of their excellent water solubility, biocompatibility, biodegradability and potential functionalization as well as their simple preparation in one-pot synthesis, HBPPs have fascinating biomedical applications, especially for drug delivery. In this tutorial review, the recent advances of HBPPs are summarized. HBPPs with different topological structures and various functionalities were synthesized via adjusting the side group of cyclic phosphate monomers, which have shown promising biomedical applications, for example, using as a macromolecular anticancer agent and constructing advanced drug delivery systems, including site-specific delivery systems, self-delivery systems, and stimuli-responsive delivery systems. Such progress may promote the further development of interdisciplinary research between polymer chemistry, material science and biomedicine.

Ring opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone in the presence of wet β-cyclodextrin: effect of the operative pressure and of water molecules in the β-cyclodextrin cavity

Wet β-cyclodextrin under pressure behaves similarly to lipase enzymes in the ring opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone in bulk.

Beyond stereoselectivity, switchable catalysis: some of the last frontier challenges in ring-opening polymerization of cyclic esters

Metal-based catalysts and initiators have played a pivotal role in the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of cyclic esters, thanks to their high activity and remarkable ability to control precisely the architectures of the resulting polyesters in terms of molar mass, dispersity, microstructure, or tacticity. Today, after two decades of extensive research, the field is slowly reaching maturity. However, several challenges remain, while original concepts have emerged around new types or new applications of catalysis. This Review is not intended to comprehensively cover all of these aspects. Rather, it provides a personal overview of the very recent progress achieved in some selected, important aspects of ROP catalysis--stereocontrol and switchable catalysis. Hence, the first part addresses the development of new metal-based catalysts for the isoselective ROP of racemic lactide towards stereoblock copolymers, and the use of syndioselective ROP metal catalysts to control the monomer sequence in copolymers. A second part covers the development of ROP catalysts--primarily metal-based catalysts, but also organocatalysts--that can be externally regulated by the use of chemical or photo stimuli to switch them between two states with different catalytic abilities. Current challenges and opportunities are highlighted.

The use of polymer-supported Candida antarctica lipase B to achieve the entropically-driven ring-opening polymerization of macrocyclic bile acid derivatives via transesterification: selectivity of the reactions and the structures of the polymers produced

ED-ROPs of macrocyclic lactones by transesterifications catalyzed by CALB are further explored and predictions of the product structures made.

Lipases in polymer chemistry

Lipases are highly active in the polymerization of a range of monomers. Both ring-opening polymerization of cyclic monomers such as lactones and carbonates as well as polycondensation reactions have been investigated in great detail. Moreover, in combination with other (chemical) polymerization techniques, lipase-catalyzed polymerization has been employed to synthesize a variety of polymer materials. Major advantages of enzymatic catalysts are the often-observed excellent regio-, chemo- and enantioselectivity that allows for the direct preparation of functional materials. In particular, the application of techniques such as Dynamic Kinetic Resolution (DKR) in the lipase-catalyzed polymerization of racemic monomers is a new development in enzymatic polymerization. This paper reviews selected examples of the application of lipases in polymer chemistry covering the synthesis of linear polymers, chemoenzymatic polymerization and applications of enantioselective techniques for the synthesis and modification of polymers.

Benzyl β-malolactonate polymers: a long story with recent advances

Benzyl β-malolactonate (MLABe) and its corresponding poly(benzyl β-malolactonate) (PMLABe) homopolymers and copolymers of the poly(hydroxyalkanoate) (PHA) family.

Selective O-acyl ring-opening of β-butyrolactone catalyzed by trifluoromethane sulfonic acid: application to the preparation of well-defined block copolymers

HOTf catalyzes ring-opening of β-butyrolactone selectively via O-acyl bond cleavage, enabling efficient copolymerization.

Tetra-n-butylammonium Fluoride as an Efficient Transesterification Catalyst for Functionalizing Cyclic Carbonates and Aliphatic Polycarbonates

We have developed a general method for the functionalization of cyclic carbonate monomers having a pentafluorophenyl ester substituent at the 5-position (MTC-OC₆F₅), as well as the postpolymerization modification of the subsequent polymer, poly(MTC-OC₆F₅), with alcohols. The transesterifications are achieved under mild conditions using catalytic tetra-n-butylammonium fluoride (TBAF) as the nucleophilic acyl transfer agent. As an organic-soluble form of fluoride, TBAF loadings as low as 5 mol % were sufficient in bringing about high conversions at room temperature. The mild reaction conditions preserved the integrity of the sensitive carbonate moieties even without the use of Schlenk techniques. In addition to commercial TBAF solutions, we also found solid-supported forms of TBAF to be effective for transesterification, thus enabling facile postreaction workup and purification. More importantly, with only minor adjustments to the reaction conditions, we show that TBAF also promotes the postpolymerization modification of poly(MTC-OC₆F₅), whereby fluoride-mediated transesterification with various alcohols proceeded quantitatively across the pendant pentafluorophenyl esters. Synthesizing a series of pendant ester-functionalized polycarbonates from a common precursor polymer was previously unattainable with existing methods, an issue that is now resolved by the current work.

1-n-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium-2-carboxylate: a versatile precatalyst for the ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone and rac-lactide under solvent-free conditions

The ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone (ε-CL) and rac-lactide (rac-LA) under solvent-free conditions and using 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium-2-carboxylate (BMIM-2-CO₂) as precatalyst is described. Linear and star-branched polyesters were synthesized by successive use of benzyl alcohol, ethylene glycol, glycerol and pentaerythritol as initiator alcohols, and the products were fully characterized by ¹H and ¹³C{¹H} NMR spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). BMIM-2-CO₂ acts as an N-heterocyclic carbene precursor, resulting from in situ decarboxylation, either by heating under vacuo (method A) or by addition of NaBPh₄ (method B). Possible catalytic and deactivation mechanisms are proposed.

Alkali aminoether-phenolate complexes: synthesis, structural characterization and evidence for an activated monomer ROP mechanism

Several monometallic {LO(i)}M complexes of lithium (M = Li; i = 1 (1), 2 (2), 3 (3)) or potassium (M = K, i = 3 (4)) and the heteroleptic bimetallic lithium complex {LO(3)}Li·LiN(SiMe2H)2 (5), all supported by monoanionic aminoether-phenolate {LO(i)}(-) (i = 1-3) ligands, have been synthesized and structurally characterized. A large range of coordination motifs is represented in the solid state, depending on the chelating ability of the ligand, the size of the metal and the number of metallic centres found in the complex. Pulse-gradient spin-echo NMR showed that 1-4 are monomeric in solution, irrespective of their (mono- or di)nuclearity in the solid-state. VT (7)Li and DOSY NMR measurements conducted for 5 indicated that the two Li atoms in the complex do not exchange positions even at 80 °C. Upon addition of 1-10 equiv. of BnOH, the electron-rich and sterically congested {LO(3)}Li complex (3) promotes the controlled living and immortal ring-opening polymerisation of L-lactide. The combination of polymer end-group analyses and stoichiometric model reactions unambiguously provided evidence that ROP reactions catalyzed by these two-component {LO(i)}Li/BnOH catalyst systems operate according to an activated monomer mechanism, and not via the coordination-insertion scenario frequently assumed for similar alkali phenolate-alcohol systems.

Thermally Induced Nanoimprinting of Biodegradable Polycarbonates Using Dynamic Covalent Cross-Links

The introduction of reversible covalent bonds into polymeric systems afford robust, yet dynamic, materials that can respond to external stimuli. A series of aliphatic polycarbonate polymers were synthesized via ring-opening polymerization of furanyl and maleimido-bearing cyclic carbonate monomers. These side chains undergo thermally induced Diels-Alder reactions to afford cross-linked films. Because both the diene and dienophile were incorporated into the same polymer backbone, a protected maleimido group, in the form of the furan adduct, was used. Both the forward and reverse Diels-Alder reaction are triggered thermally, which allows the deprotection of the maleimido group and the subsequent reaction with the furanyl side chains to form cross-links. Random copolymers and poly(ethylene glycol) containing block copolymers were formed using diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene as the catalyst and a thiourea cocatalyst. The polymers form uniform films that can be cross-linked in the bulk state. To further illustrate the dynamic nature of the covalent bonds within the cross-linked films, a patterned silicon mold was used to transfer a series of nanoscale patterns using a thermal nanoimprint process.

Enzyme-Mediated Ring-Opening Polymerization of Pentadecalactone to Obtain Biodegradable Polymer for Fabrication of Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering

The optimization of enzyme-mediated polymerization of pentadecalactone (PDL) was performed to obtain macromolecular products suitable for generation of 3D cell supports (scaffolds) for bone tissue engineering. Such parameters as temperature, monomer/enzyme ratio, and monomer concentration were studied. The maximum molecular weight of synthesized polymers was about 90,000. Methods allowing the introduction of reactive double bonds into polypentadecalactone (polyPDL) structure were developed. The macroporous matrices were obtained by modification of thermoinduced phase separation method.

Immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B: Hydration, stripping off and application in ring opening polyester synthesis

This work reviews the stripping off, role of water molecules in activity, and flexibility of immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB). Employment of CALB in ring opening polyester synthesis emphasizing on a polylactide is discussed in detail. Execution of enzymes in place of inorganic catalysts is the most green alternative for sustainable and environment friendly synthesis of products on an industrial scale. Robust immobilization and consequently performance of enzyme is the essential objective of enzyme application in industry. Water bound to the surface of an enzyme (contact class of water molecules) is inevitable for enzyme performance; it controls enzyme dynamics via flexibility changes and has intensive influence on enzyme activity. The value of pH during immobilization of CALB plays a critical role in fixing the active conformation of an enzyme. Comprehensive selection of support and protocol can develop a robust immobilized enzyme thus enhancing its performance. Organic solvents with a log P value higher than four are more suitable for enzymatic catalysis as these solvents tend to strip away very little of the enzyme surface bound water molecules. Alternatively ionic liquid can work as a more promising reaction media. Covalent immobilization is an exclusively reliable technique to circumvent the leaching of enzymes and to enhance stability. Activated polystyrene nanoparticles can prove to be a practical and economical support for chemical immobilization of CALB. In order to reduce the E-factor for the synthesis of biodegradable polymers; enzymatic ring opening polyester synthesis (eROPS) of cyclic monomers is a more sensible route for polyester synthesis. Synergies obtained from ionic liquids and immobilized enzyme can be much effective eROPS.

Chemoenzymatic synthesis and chemical recycling of poly(ester-urethane)s

Novel poly(ester-urethane)s were prepared by a synthetic route using a lipase that avoids the use of hazardous diisocyanate. The urethane linkage was formed by the reaction of phenyl carbonate with amino acids and amino alcohols that produced urethane-containing diacids and hydroxy acids, respectively. The urethane diacid underwent polymerization with polyethylene glycol and α,ω-alkanediols and also the urethane-containing hydroxy acid monomer was polymerized by the lipase to produce high-molecular-weight poly(ester-urethane)s. The periodic introduction of ester linkages into the polyurethane chain by the lipase-catalyzed polymerization afforded chemically recyclable points. They were readily depolymerized in the presence of lipase into cyclic oligomers, which were readily repolymerized in the presence of the same enzyme. Due to the symmetrical structure of the polymers, poly(ester-urethane)s synthesized in this study showed higher T(m), Young's modulus and tensile strength values.