Candida antarctica Lipase B Catalyzed Synthesis of Poly(butylene succinate): Shorter Chain Building Blocks Also Work

摘要

Lipase has been extensively used to convert aliphatic diacid and diol to biodegradable polyesters. In general, lipase catalysts show higher polymerization activity towards long chain substrates. Thus far, efforts to copolymerize short chain (≤ four carbons) diacid and diol monomers have only led to the formation of low molecular weight products. Herein we report the synthesis of high molecular weight (M_w ≥ 35,000) poly(butylenes succinate) by using diethyl succinate, instead of succinic acid, as comonomer to avoid substrate phase separation, and by carrying out the copolymerization reaction at ≥ 95°C to prevent the product from precipitating out of the reaction solution.