Exploring mild enzymatic sustainable routes for the synthesis of bio‐degradable aromatic‐aliphatic oligoesters

The application of Candida antarctica lipase B in enzyme‐catalyzed synthesis of aromatic‐aliphatic oligoesters is here reported. The aim of the present study is to systematically investigate the most favorable conditions for the enzyme catalyzed synthesis of aromatic‐aliphatic oligomers using commercially available monomers. Reaction conditions and enzyme selectivity for polymerization of various commercially available monomers were considered using different inactivated/activated aromatic monomers combined with linear polyols ranging from C₂ to C₁₂. The effect of various reaction solvents in enzymatic polymerization was assessed and toluene allowed to achieve the highest conversions for the reaction of dimethyl isophthalate with 1,4‐butanediol and with 1,10‐decanediol (88 and 87% monomer conversion respectively). M_w as high as 1512 Da was obtained from the reaction of dimethyl isophthalate with 1,10‐decanediol. The obtained oligomers have potential applications as raw materials in personal and home care formulations, for the production of aliphatic‐aromatic block co‐polymers or can be further functionalized with various moieties for a subsequent photo‐ or radical polymerization.