Enzyme-Catalyzed Synthesis of Aliphatic-Aromatic Oligoamides

Enzymatically catalyzed polycondensation of p-xylylenediamine and diethyl sebacate resulted in oligo(p-xylylene sebacamide) with high melting temperatures (223-230 degrees C) and the enzymatic polycondensation of dimethyl terephthalate and 1,8-diaminooctane leads to oligo-(octamethylene terephthalamide) with two melting temperatures at 186 and 218 degrees C. No oligoamides, but products 1 and 2, were formed from the enzymatic reaction of dimethyl terephthalate and p-xylylenediamine. All reactions were catalyzed by CAL-B, icutinase, or CLEA cutinase. All reactions catalyzed by CAL-B show higher conversion than reactions catalyzed by icutinase or CLEA cutinase. The highest DPmax of 15 was achieved in a one-step and two-step synthesis of oligo(p-xylylene sebacamide) catalyzed by CLEA cutinase.