Continuous Flow Enzyme-Catalyzed Polymerization in a Microreactor

Enzymes immobilized on solid supports are increasingly used for greener, more sustainable chemical transformation processes. Here, we used microreactors to study enzyme-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone to polycaprolactone. A novel microreactor design enabled us to perform thes...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the American Chemical Society 2011-04, Vol.133 (15), p.6006-6011
Main Authors: Kundu, Santanu, Bhangale, Atul S, Wallace, William E, Flynn, Kathleen M, Guttman, Charles M, Gross, Richard A, Beers, Kathryn L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Candida - enzymology
Caproates - chemistry
Caproates - metabolism
Catalysis
Enzymes, Immobilized - metabolism
Fungal Proteins
Lactones - chemistry
Lactones - metabolism
Lipase - metabolism
Microchemistry - instrumentation
Polyesters - chemistry
Polyesters - metabolism
Polymerization
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Summary:Enzymes immobilized on solid supports are increasingly used for greener, more sustainable chemical transformation processes. Here, we used microreactors to study enzyme-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone to polycaprolactone. A novel microreactor design enabled us to perform these heterogeneous reactions in continuous mode, in organic media, and at elevated temperatures. Using microreactors, we achieved faster polymerization and higher molecular mass compared to using batch reactors. While this study focused on polymerization reactions, it is evident that similar microreactor based platforms can readily be extended to other enzyme-based systems, for example, high-throughput screening of new enzymes and to precision measurements of new processes where continuous flow mode is preferred. This is the first reported demonstration of a solid supported enzyme-catalyzed polymerization reaction in continuous mode.
ISSN:0002-7863
1520-5126
DOI:10.1021/ja111346c