Lipase-catalyzed polycondensation of dicarboxylic acid- divinyl esters and glycols to aliphatic polyesters

Lipase-catalyzed polymerization of dicarboxylic acid–divinyl esters with glycols has been performed. The vinyl esters used were divinyl adipate and divinyl sebacate. Lipases derived from Candida antarctica, Mucor miehei, Pseudomonas cepacia, and P. fluorescens showed high catalytic activity toward the present polymerization. Effects of solvent, reaction temperature, and enzyme amount were systematically investigated. A combination of divinyl adipate, 1,4-butanediol, and P. cepacia lipase afforded the highest molecular weight (2.1 × 104). The yield of the polymer from divinyl sebacate was higher than that from divinyl adipate, whereas the opposite tendency was observed in the polymer molecular weight. Methylene chain length of α,ω-alkylene glycol also affected the polymerization behavior. The enzymatic polymerization of divinyl sebacate with cis-2-butene-1,4-diol and 2-butyne-1,4-diol resulted in the polymer containing unsaturated group in the polymer backbone. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 2737–2745, 1999