Green process for green materials: viable low-temperature lipase-catalysed synthesis of renewable telechelics in supercritical CO2

Curia, S.; Barclay, A.F.; Torron, S.; Johansson, M.; Howdle, S.M.

Abstract

We present a novel near ambient temperature approach to telechelic renewable polyesters by exploiting the unique properties of supercritical CO2 (scCO2). Bio-based commercially available monomers have been polymerised and functional telechelic materials with targeted molecular weight were prepared by end-capping the chains with molecules containing reactive moieties in a one-pot reaction. The use of scCO2 as a reaction medium facilitates the effective use of Candida Antarctica Lipase B (CaLB) as a catalyst at a temperature as low as 35 °C, hence avoiding side reactions, maintaining the end-capper functionality and preserving the enzyme activity.
The functionalised polymer products have been characterised by 1H-NMR, MALDI-TOF, GPC and DSC in order to carefully assess their structural and thermal properties.
We demonstrate that telechelic materials can be produced enzymatically at mild temperatures, in a solvent-free system and using renewably sourced monomers without pre-modification, by exploiting the unique properties of scCO2. The macromolecules we prepare are ideal green precursors that can be further reacted to prepare useful bio-derived films and coatings.

Citation

Curia, S., Barclay, A., Torron, S., Johansson, M., & Howdle, S. (2015). Green process for green materials: viable low-temperature lipase-catalysed synthesis of renewable telechelics in supercritical CO2. Philosophical Transactions A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 373(2057), https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2015.0073

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Nov 16, 2015
• Deposit Date: Nov 26, 2015
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 26, 2015
• Journal: Philosophical Transactions A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences
• Print ISSN: 1364-503X
• Electronic ISSN: 1471-2962
• Publisher: The Royal Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 373
• Issue: 2057
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2015.0073
• Keywords: Azelaic acid, Supercritical CO2, Lipase, Telechelics
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/766555
• Publisher URL: http://rsta.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/373/2057/20150073.abstract