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Updated: Jan 27, 2026

OaAEP1-Mediated Enzymatic Synthesis and Immobilization of Polymerized Protein for Single-Molecule Force Spectroscopy

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Published on: February 5, 2020

Sugar-Based Polyesters: From Glux-Diol Synthesis to Its Enzymatic Polymerization.

Federico Acciaretti¹, Andrea Pasquale², Giacomo Lombardo²

¹Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 2, Milano I-20126, Italy.

|January 26, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers synthesized a novel sugar-based monomer, glux-diol, and polymerized it into biobased polyesters using enzymatic catalysis. These sustainable materials show excellent thermal stability, offering a promising alternative to conventional plastics.

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Area of Science:

Green Chemistry
Polymer Science
Biocatalysis

Background:

Developing sustainable polymers from renewable resources is crucial for reducing environmental impact.
Sugar derivatives offer a promising platform for creating novel biobased materials.
Efficient synthesis and purification of monomers are key challenges in biobased polymer production.

Purpose of the Study:

To detail the synthesis of 2,4:3,5-di-O-methylene-d-glucitol (glux-diol) from d-glucono-1,5-lactone.
To explore the biocatalytic polymerization of glux-diol with various diesters to produce biobased polyesters.
To characterize the properties, particularly thermal stability, of the resulting polyesters.

Main Methods:

Synthesis of glux-diol involving protection with paraformaldehyde, Fischer esterification, and LiAlH4 reduction.
Development of a new purification method to remove inorganic salt byproducts.
Enzymatic copolymerization using Candida antarctica lipase B in a green solvent (Cygnet 2.0).

Main Results:

Successfully synthesized and purified glux-diol, a bicyclic acetal derivative of d-glucose.
Produced biobased polyesters with number-average molecular weights (Mn) ranging from 900 to 2200 g mol-1.
Achieved high thermal stabilities for the polyesters, between 391 °C and 419 °C.

Conclusions:

The integrated approach of sugar functionalization and biocatalysis provides an efficient route to novel biobased polyesters.
The synthesized polyesters exhibit excellent thermal properties, making them suitable for various applications.
This work presents a sustainable pathway for producing high-performance polymers from renewable resources.