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Related Concept Videos

Polymers02:34

Polymers

37.8K
The word polymer is derived from the Greek words “poly” which means “many” and “mer” which means “parts”. Polymers are long chains of molecules composed of repeating units of smaller molecules, known as monomers. They either occur naturally, such as DNA and proteins, or can be constructed synthetically, like plastics. They have varied structural characteristics, such as linear chains, branched chains, or complex networks, that contribute to the...
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Free-Radical Chain Reaction and Polymerization of Alkenes02:35

Free-Radical Chain Reaction and Polymerization of Alkenes

8.4K
The conversion of alkenes to macromolecules called polymers is a reaction of high commercial importance. The structure of the polymer is defined by a repeating unit, while the terminal groups are considered insignificant. The average degree of polymerization represents the number of repeating units in the polymer molecule and is denoted by the subscript n.
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Hydrolysis01:15

Hydrolysis

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Overview
Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction in which the addition of water breaks down a polymer into its simpler monomer units. For example, peptides break into amino acids, carbohydrates into simple sugars, and DNA into nucleotides. Enzymes often facilitate these processes.
Hydrolysis Reverses Dehydration Synthesis
Complex carbohydrates can be broken down by breaking the bonds between individual sugar units. The reaction breaks a glycosidic bond as water is added to the compound. The...
118.2K
Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Overview01:13

Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Overview

2.3K
Recently, the development of olefin metathesis polymerization advanced the field of polymer synthesis. Simply put, the reorganization of substituents on their double bonds between two olefins in the presence of a catalyst is known as the olefin metathesis reaction. The use of metathesis reaction for polymer synthesis is called olefin metathesis polymerization.
Ruthenium-based Grubbs catalyst is the most commonly used catalyst for olefin metathesis polymerization. Grubbs catalyst consists...
2.3K
Polymer Classification: Architecture01:14

Polymer Classification: Architecture

3.1K
Polymers are classified as linear or branched on the basis of their chain architecture. The polymer chains in linear polymers have a long chain-like structure with minimal to no branching at all. Even if a polymer features large substituent groups on the monomer, which appear as branches to the skeleton, it is not considered a branched polymer. A branched polymer contains secondary polymer chains that arise from the main polymer chain. The branching occurs when the polymer growth shifts from...
3.1K
Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:03

Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview

3.7K
Step-growth or condensation polymerization is a stepwise reaction of bi or multifunctional monomers to form long-chain polymers. As all the monomers are reactive, most of the monomers are consumed at the early stages of the reaction to form small chains of reactive oligomers, which then combine to form long polymer chains in the late stages. Hence, the reaction has to proceed for a long time to achieve high molecular weight polymers.
Many natural and synthetic polymers are produced by...
3.7K

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Updated: Oct 3, 2025

Depolymerizable Olefinic Polymers Based on Fused-Ring Cyclooctene Monomers
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Depolymerizable Olefinic Polymers Based on Fused-Ring Cyclooctene Monomers

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Lipases in polymer chemistry.

Bahar Yeniad1, Hemantkumar Naik, Andreas Heise

  • 1Polymer Chemistry Group, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.

Advances in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology
|September 23, 2010
PubMed
Summary

Lipases efficiently catalyze polymerization reactions, enabling the synthesis of functional polymers. Advanced techniques like Dynamic Kinetic Resolution (DKR) enhance enzymatic polymerization for novel material development.

Area of Science:

  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Biocatalysis
  • Enzymatic Synthesis

Background:

  • Lipases are versatile enzymes with high activity in polymerizing various monomers.
  • Both ring-opening polymerization and polycondensation reactions are well-established lipase-catalyzed processes.
  • Enzymatic polymerization offers advantages in regio-, chemo-, and enantioselectivity for functional material synthesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the application of lipases in polymer chemistry.
  • To highlight chemoenzymatic polymerization strategies.
  • To discuss the use of enantioselective techniques in polymer synthesis and modification.

Main Methods:

  • Ring-opening polymerization of cyclic monomers (lactones, carbonates).
  • Polycondensation reactions catalyzed by lipases.

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Defining Substrate Specificities for Lipase and Phospholipase Candidates
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  • Integration of lipase catalysis with other polymerization techniques.
  • Application of Dynamic Kinetic Resolution (DKR) for racemic monomer polymerization.

    • Main Results:

    • Lipases facilitate the synthesis of diverse polymer materials.
    • Enzymatic catalysis enables the direct preparation of functional polymers with high selectivity.
    • Dynamic Kinetic Resolution (DKR) represents a novel advancement in lipase-catalyzed polymerization.
    • Chemoenzymatic approaches expand the scope of polymer synthesis.

    Conclusions:

    • Lipase-catalyzed polymerization is a powerful tool for creating advanced polymer materials.
    • Enantioselective techniques, including DKR, are crucial for synthesizing chiral polymers.
    • Lipases provide a sustainable and selective alternative to traditional chemical catalysts in polymer chemistry.