Abstract
Following the environmental problems caused by non-degradable
plastics there is a need to synthesise greener and more sustainable
polymers. In this work we describe, for the first time, the facile
enzyme-catalysed synthesis of linear polyesters using dimethyl
malonate as the diester. These polymers, containing a different aliphatic diol component (C4, C6 or C8), were synthesised in solventless conditions using immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B as
the biocatalyst. The potential of enzymes for catalysing this reaction is compared with the unsuccessful antimony- and titaniumcatalysed synthesis (T > 150 °C). The application of the synthesized
polymers as effective metal chelators in biphasic, green solvent
systems was also described, together with the characterisation of
the synthesised materials.
plastics there is a need to synthesise greener and more sustainable
polymers. In this work we describe, for the first time, the facile
enzyme-catalysed synthesis of linear polyesters using dimethyl
malonate as the diester. These polymers, containing a different aliphatic diol component (C4, C6 or C8), were synthesised in solventless conditions using immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B as
the biocatalyst. The potential of enzymes for catalysing this reaction is compared with the unsuccessful antimony- and titaniumcatalysed synthesis (T > 150 °C). The application of the synthesized
polymers as effective metal chelators in biphasic, green solvent
systems was also described, together with the characterisation of
the synthesised materials.