One-pot difunctionalization of poly(ω-pentadecalactone) with thiol-thiol or thiol-acrylate groups, catalyzed by Candida antarctica lipase B

An enzymatic one-pot procedure has been developed for the synthesis of difunctional polyesters containing terminal thiols and acrylates. Candida antarctica lipase B was used as a catalyst for the ring-opening polymerization of omega-pentadecalactone. The polymerization was initiated with 6-mercaptohexanol, then terminated with gamma-thiobutyrolactone or vinyl acrylate to create two types of difunctional polyesters with a very high content of thiol-thiol or thiol-acrylate end-groups.