CHEMO-ENZYMATIC SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NOVEL FUNCTIONALIZED AMPHIPHILIC POLYMERS

ABSTRACT

The condensation copolymerization of Dimethyl 5-hydroxyisophthalate (1) with Polyethylene glycols (PEGs) (2a–2d) of varying molecular weights, catalyzed by Novozyme-435 (immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B) in bulk is reported. The structures of the resulting polymers, Poly(poly(oxyethylene)-oxy-5-hydroxyisophthaloyl] (3a–3c) were characterized by ¹H (1D and 2D) and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopic experiments. Further, these polymers have been derivatized by attaching decanyl and 12-hydroxydodecanyl chains to the phenolic hydroxyl group. The resulting amphiphilic polymeric systems were characterized by detailed spectroscopic analysis. Light Scattering Photometry as well as Gel Per meation Chromatography were used to evaluate the particle size and molecular weights of the polymers. In principle, the method developed is flexible so that it can be used to generate a wide array of functionalized amphiphilic polymers. In the absence of biocatalytic transformation, such structural control would be extremely difficult or currently impossible to obtain.