Enzyme-catalyzed synthesis of malonate polyesters and their use as metal chelating materials
Byrne, Fergal P.; Assemat, Jamie M. Z.; Stanford, Amy E.; Farmer, Thomas J.; Comerford, James; Pellis, Alessandro
Peer reviewed, Journal article
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2021Metadata
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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.