Vine-twining Polymerization Research Articles

Architecture of amylose supramolecules in form of inclusion complexes by phosphorylase-catalyzed enzymatic polymerization.

This paper reviews the architecture of amylose supramolecules in form of inclusion complexes with synthetic polymers by phosphorylase-catalyzed enzymatic polymerization. Amylose is known to be synthesized by enzymatic polymerization using α-d-glucose 1-phosphate as a monomer, by phosphorylase catalysis. When the phosphorylase-catalyzed enzymatic polymerization was conducted in the presence of various hydrophobic polymers, such as polyethers, polyesters, poly(ester-ether), and polycarbonates as a guest polymer, such inclusion supramolecules were formed by the hydrophobic interaction in the progress of polymerization. Because the representation of propagation in the polymerization is similar to the way that a vine of a plant grows, twining around a rod, this polymerization method for the formation of amylose-polymer inclusion complexes was proposed to be named “vine-twining polymerization”. To yield an inclusion complex from a strongly hydrophobic polyester, the parallel enzymatic polymerization system was extensively developed. The author found that amylose selectively included one side of the guest polymer from a mixture of two resemblant guest polymers, as well as a specific range in molecular weights of the guest polymers poly(tetrahydrofuran) (PTHF) in the vine-twining polymerization. Selective inclusion behavior of amylose toward stereoisomers of chiral polyesters, poly(lactide)s, also appeared in the vine-twining polymerization.

Preparation of polysaccharide supramolecular films by vine-twining polymerization approach

In this study, we investigated the preparation of polysaccharide supramolecular films through the formation of inclusion complexes by amylose in vine-twining polymerization using carboxymethyl cellulose-graft-poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (CMC-g-PCL) as a new guest polymer. First, hydrogels were prepared by phosphorylase-catalyzed enzymatic polymerization in the presence of CMC-g-PCL according to the vine-twining polymerization manner. The XRD result of a powdered sample obtained by lyophilization of the resulting hydrogel indicated the presence of inclusion complexes of amylose with the PCL graft-chains between intermolecular (CMC-g-PCL)s, which acted as supramolecular cross-linking points for the hydrogelation. Then, the supramolecular films were obtained by adding water to the powdered samples, followed by drying. The mechanical properties of the selected films examined by tensile testing were superior to those of a CMC film. The effect of the supramolecular cross-linking structures on the mechanical properties of the films was evaluated further by several investigations.

Preparation and Applications of Amylose Supramolecules by Means of Phosphorylase-Catalyzed Enzymatic Polymerization

This paper reviews preparation and applications of amylose supramolecules by means of phosphorylase-catalyzed enzymatic polymerization. When the enzymatic polymerization of α-d-glucose 1-phosphate (G-1-P) as a monomer was carried out in the presence of poly(tetrahydrofuran) (PTHF) of a hydrophobic polyether as a guest polymer, the supramolecule, i.e., an amylose-PTHF inclusion complex, was formed in the process of polymerization. Because the representation of propagation in the polymerization is similar to the way that vines of plants grow twining around rods, this polymerization method for the preparation of amylose-polymer inclusion complexes was proposed to be named “vine-twining polymerization”. Various hydrophobic polyethers, polyesters, poly(ester-ether), and polycarbonates were also employed as the guest polymer in the vine-twining polymerization to produce the corresponding inclusion complexes. To obtain the inclusion complex from a strongly hydrophobic guest polymer, the parallel enzymatic polymerization system was developed as an advanced extension of the vine-twining polymerization. In addition, it was found that amylose selectively includes one side of the guest polymer from a mixture of two resemblant guest polymers, as well as a specific range in molecular weights of the guest PTHF. Amylose also exhibited selective inclusion behavior toward stereoisomers of poly(lactide)s. Moreover, the preparation of hydrogels through the formation of inclusion complexes of amylose in vine-twining polymerization was achieved.

Preparation of inclusion complexes composed of amylose and biodegradable poly(glycolic acid-co-ɛ-caprolactone) by vine-twining polymerization and their lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis behavior

In this study, we found that amylose-poly(glycolic acid-co-ɛ-caprolactone) (P(GA-co-CL)) inclusion complexes were formed when phosphorylase-catalyzed enzymatic polymerization was performed in the presence of biodegradable P(GA-co-CL)s according to a vine-twining polymerization process. The X-ray diffraction patterns of the products showed the typical diffraction peaks due to inclusion complexes composed of amylose and guest compounds. In addition, the 1H NMR spectra of the products showed the signals due to amylose and P(GA-co-CL), in spite of washing with good solvents for P(GA-co-CL), such as acetone and chloroform. These results suggested that the products were inclusion complexes composed of amylose and P(GA-co-CL). The compositional ratio of GA unit to CL unit in P(GA-co-CL)s did not affect the inclusion behavior of amylose. On the other hand, the results in the vine-twining polymerization using amorphous P(GA-co-CL)s and a crystalline poly(glycolic acid-block-ɛ-caprolactone) (P(GA-b-CL)) as guest polymers indicated that the crystallinity of the guest copolymers strongly affected the formation of inclusion complexes with amylose. In addition, we found that lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of P(GA-co-CL) in the inclusion complex was partly inhibited, probably because amylose, which surrounded P(GA-co-CL), prevented the approach of lipase. We found that the inclusion complexes composed of amylose and poly(glycolic acid-co-ɛ-caprolactone) (P(GA-co-CL)) of a biodegradable polyester were prepared by phosphorylase-catalyzed polymerization of α-D-glucose 1-phosphate from maltoheptaose as a primer in the presence of P(GA-co-CL) (vine-twining polymerization). In addition, it was found that lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of P(GA-co-CL) in the inclusion complex was partly inhibited.

Amylose's Recognition of Chirality in Polylactides on Formation of Inclusion Complexes in Vine‐Twining Polymerization

Amylose selectively includes poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) among the poly(lactide)s (PLAs) to produce an inclusion complex when the phosphorylase-catalyzed polymerization of α-D-glucose 1-phosphate is performed in the presence of PLLA, poly(D-lactide) (PDLA), or poly(DL-lactide) (PDLLA) (vine-twining polymerization). This result indicates that amylose recognizes the chirality in PLAs on the formation of an inclusion complex in vine-twining polymerization. Modeling calculations support the amylose's chiral recognition in favor of PLLA and the atomistic details of the inclusion complex which involved the preferred orientation of the constituent molecular chains with respect to their fiber axis is proposed.

Preparation of Enzymatically Recyclable Hydrogels Through the Formation of Inclusion Complexes of Amylose in a Vine‐Twining Polymerization

In this paper, we describe the preparation of hydrogels through the formation of an inclusion complex of amylose in a vine-twining polymerization. This is achieved by the phosphorylase-catalyzed polymerization of alpha-D-glucose 1-phosphate from maltoheptaose primer, in the presence of a water-soluble copolymer having hydrophobic graft-chains (poly(acrylic acid sodium salt-graft-delta-valerolactone)). The mixture turns into a gel during the polymerization process. Evaluation of the hydrogels is conducted by shear-viscosity measurements of the products. For the hydrogels with relatively high viscosities, fast relaxation modes of the cooperative diffusions are observed by scanning microscopic light scattering measurements, which indicate the nanometer-size network structures of the hydrogels. In addition, we found that the enzymatic disruption and reproduction of the hydrogels are achieved by the combination of the amylase-catalyzed hydrolysis of the amylose component and the formation of amylose by the phosphorylase-catalyzed polymerization.

Selectivity and Priority on Inclusion of Amylose toward Guest Polyethers and Polyesters in Vine-Twining Polymerization

In this paper, we describe that amylose selectively includes poly(tetrahydrofuran) (PTHF) or poly(δ-valerolactone) (PVL) from a mixture of two resemblant polyethers, i.e., poly(oxetane) (POXT) and PTHF, or a mixture of two resemblant polyesters, i.e., PVL and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) in vine-twining polymerization. These selective inclusions were achieved by the formation of amylose-polymer inclusion complexes in phosphorylase-catalyzed enzymatic polymerization of α-D-glucose 1-phosphate from maltoheptaose as a primer in the presence of mixtures of POXT/PTHF and PVL/PCL, respectively. In addition, we evaluated the priority on inclusion of amylose toward these guest polymers in the vine-twining polymerization method to be PTHF > PVL > POXT > PCL.

Amylose Selectively Includes a Specific Range of Molecular Weights in Poly(tetrahydrofuran)s in Vine-Twining Polymerization

Amylose Selectively Includes a Specific Range of Molecular Weights in Poly(tetrahydrofuran)s in Vine-Twining Polymerization

In situ synthesis of amylose/single-walled carbon nanotubes supramolecular assembly

A supramolecular assembly of amylose and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) was synthesized in situ through vine-twining polymerization. Raman analysis indicated that the amylose–SWNTs supramolecular assembly was formed after the polymerization and SEM images displayed the twisted ribbons in the SWNTs wrapped by amylose. The dispersion stability of the SWNTs in aqueous solutions was improved by the wrapping of short-chain amylose molecules around the SWNTs.

Amylose Selectively Includes One from a Mixture of Two Resemblant Polyethers in Vine-Twining Polymerization

In this paper, we describe that amylose almost selectively includes poly(tetrahydrofuran) (PTHF) from a mixture of poly(oxetane) (POXT) and PTHF having resemblant chemical structures and molecular weights in vine-twining polymerization. This was performed by the phosphorylase-catalyzed enzymatic polymerization of alpha-D-glucose 1-phosphate from maltoheptaose as a primer in the presence of a mixture of POXT and PTHF to produce an amylose-PTHF inclusion complex.

Vine-twining polymerization: A new preparation method for well-defined supramolecules composed of amylose and synthetic polymers

In this article we describe a new method of polymerization called "vine-twining polymerization" for preparation of well-defined supramolecules, which are amylose-polymer inclusion complexes. The method was achieved by enzymatic polymerization of alpha-D-glucose-1-phosphate catalyzed by phosphorylase in the presence of various synthetic polymers such as polyethers, polyesters, poly(ester-ether), and amphiphilic block copolymer. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and 1H-NMR measurements determined the structures of the products to be inclusion complexes. The XRD patterns were completely different from those of amylose and guest polymers. The 1H-NMR spectra of the products indicated that the structures were composed of amylose and guest polymers. The formation process of the inclusion complexes during the enzymatic polymerization was also evaluated. In addition, we revealed that the bulkiness of the end groups and the hydrophobicity of the guest polymers strongly affected the formation of the inclusion complexes. By means of this method of polymerization, a graft polymer having inclusion complexes as side chains was prepared. Furthermore, as an evolution of the "vine-twining polymerization," we attempted a system of parallel polymerization to form an inclusion complex of amylose with a strongly hydrophobic guest polymer.

Vine-twining polymerization: amylose twines around polyethers to form amylose-polyether inclusion complexes.

In this paper, we describe a new polymerization manner termed as "vine-twining polymerization" to produce amylose-polymer inclusion complexes. The polymerization was achieved by an enzymatic polymerization of alpha-D-glucose-1-phosphate monomer catalyzed by phosphorylase in the presence of polyTHF as a guest polymer. The structure of the product was determined by X-ray powder diffraction and (1)H NMR measurements to be the inclusion complex. The formation process of the inclusion complexes during the polymerization was also evaluated. Furthermore, the formation of the inclusion complexes by this polymerization method by using polyTHFs with various M(n)s and end groups, as well as other polyethers as the guest polymers, was examined.