Stereoselectivity-tailored chemo-enzymatic synthesis of enantiocomplementary poly (ω-substituted-δ-valerolactone) enabled by engineered lipase

Enzymatic Synthesis of Polyesters and Their Bioapplications: Recent Advances and Perspectives

This article reviews the most important advances in the enzymatic synthesis of polyesters. In first place, the different processes of polyester enzymatic synthesis, i.e., polycondensation, ring opening, and chemoenzymatic polymerizations, and the key parameters affecting these reactions, such as enzyme, concentration, solvent, or temperature, are analyzed. Then, the latest articles on the preparation of polyesters either by direct synthesis or via modification are commented. Finally, the main bioapplications of enzymatically obtained polyesters, i.e., antimicrobial, drug delivery, or tissue engineering, are described. It is intended to point out the great advantages that enzymatic polymerization present to obtain polymers and the disadvantages found to develop applied materials.

Prospects of Using Biocatalysis for the Synthesis and Modification of Polymers

Trends in the dynamically developing application of biocatalysis for the synthesis and modification of polymers over the past 5 years are considered, with an emphasis on the production of biodegradable, biocompatible and functional polymeric materials oriented to medical applications. The possibilities of using enzymes not only as catalysts for polymerization but also for the preparation of monomers for polymerization or oligomers for block copolymerization are considered. Special attention is paid to the prospects and existing limitations of biocatalytic production of new synthetic biopolymers based on natural compounds and monomers from biomass, which can lead to a huge variety of functional biomaterials. The existing experience and perspectives for the integration of bio- and chemocatalysis in this area are discussed.