Enzymatic synthesis of poly(tetramethylene carbonate) from diethyl carbonate and 1, 4-butanediol

Abstract

Diethyl carbonate and 1, 4-butanediol were polymerized using lipase at a temperature between 70 and 75°C to yield poly(tetramethylene carbonate) in a successive two-step polymerization. Bulk polymerization, especially at a temperature between 70 and 75°C, and preferably using immobilized lipase from Candida antarctica (Novozym 435) gave poly(tetramethylene carbonate) with a weight-average molecular weight of greater than 40, 000.