Polymersome nanoreactors for enzymatic ring-opening polymerization
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Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Controlled Photoredox Ring-Opening Polymerization of O-Carboxyanhydrides Mediated by Ni/Zn Complexes
Published on: November 21, 2017
Madhavan Nallani1, Hans-Peter M de Hoog, Jeroen J L M Cornelissen
1Department of Organic Chemistry, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Polystyrene-polyisocyanopeptide (PS-PIAT) polymersomes containing CALB in two different locations, one in the aqueous inner compartment and one in the bilayer, were investigated for enzymatic ring-opening polymerization of lactones in water. It is shown that the monomers 8-octanolactone and dodecalactone yield oligomers with this polymersome system. It is also observed that the polymerization activity is dependent on the position of the enzyme in the polymersome. SEM investigations show that the polymersome structures were destabilized during the polymerization. Further investigations show that the vesicular morphology of the polymersomes was destabilized only in the case of polymer product formation.
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