Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3‐14 1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku‐ku, Yokohama 223‐8522, Japan
Abstract:
High‐molecular‐weight PTeMC and PHMC were prepared by the lipase‐catalyzed polymerization of butane‐1,4‐diol or hexane‐1,6‐diol and diphenyl carbonate via the formation of a cyclic dimer by a green process. Cyclic carbonate dimers were prepared by the lipase‐catalyzed condensation of diphenyl carbonate with butane‐1,4‐diol or hexane‐1,6‐diol in dilute toluene solution using an immobilized lipase from Candida antarctica, and was followed by the ring‐opening polymerization of the cyclic dimer in bulk with the same lipase to produce PTeMC with = 119 000 g · mol?1 and PHMC with = 399 000 g · mol?1, respectively. Additionally, enzymatic polymerization of cyclic carbonate dimer was analyzed with respect to the Km and Vmax for the lipase.