Lipase-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization and copolymerization of cyclic dicarbonates

Abstract

Ring-opening polymerization of cyclic dicarbonates, cyclobis(hexamethylene carbonate) (1a) and cyclobis(diethylene glycol carbonate) (1b), and their copolymerization with lactones have been carried out using lipase as catalyst. These carbonates were polymerized by Candida antarctica lipase under mild reaction conditions to give the corresponding polycarbonates. The enzymatic copolymerization with lactones proceeded to produce ester-carbonate copolymers. The copolymerization of 1b with 12-dodecanolide produced the random copolymer, whereas the copolymer from 1a and 12-dodecanolide was not statistically random. © WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH, 2000.