A green strategy for the synthesis of poly(ethylene succinate) and its copolyesters via enzymatic ring opening polymerization

Poly(ethylene succinate) (PES) with weight-average molecular weight above 60,000 g mol(-1) was efficiently obtained by enzymatic ring opening polymerization of cyclic oligo(ethylene succinate) sc(ES)(n), which in turn were prepared by lipase-catalysed cyclocondensation in solution of di-methyl succinate and ethylene glycol. The methodology was demonstrated to be also applicable to the synthesis of high molecular weight PES-copolyesters containing butylene succinate, epsilon-hydroxycaproate or L-lactate units with a random distribution.