Enzyme-catalyzed polycondensation reactions for the synthesis of aromatic polycarbonates and polyesters

Abstract

Aromatic polymers are widely used in products ranging from optical lenses to milk bottles because of their strength, thermal durability, and high glass transition temperatures. All of the commonly used routes employed to generate aromatic polycarbonates and polyesters generate large amounts of waste as by-products and require high energy input. For these reasons, alternate routes to aromatic polymers which involve either less energy input or less waste generation are being investigated. One such route may be enzymatic. Herein we describe enzyme-catalyzed AA-BB condensation polymerizations to form aromatic polycarbonates and polyesters with six different aromatic diols and molecular weights of up to 5,200 Daltons are generated. In addition, for reactions with benzenedimethanol the enzyme exhibits regioselectivity for parahydroxyls over meta- and orthohydroxyls.