Organic solvent-free enzymatic transformation of poly(ε-caprolactone) into repolymerizable oligomers in supercritical carbon dioxide

Shuichi Matsumura, Hiroki Ebata, Reiko Kondo, Kazunobu Toshima

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

27 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The enzymatic transformation of poly(ε-caprolactone (PCL) into repolymerizable oligomers in supereritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) using an enzyme was carried out in order to establish a sustainable chemical recycling system for PCL, which is a typical biodegradable synthetic plastic. The enzymatic conversion of PCL beads having an Mn of 110 000 using Candida antarctica lipase (lipase CA) in scCO2, containing small amounts of water quantitatively afforded CL oligomers at 40°C. The CL oligomers were readily repolymerized using the same enzyme to produce high-molecular weight PCL.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1325-1329
Number of pages5
JournalMacromolecular Rapid Communications
Volume22
Issue number16
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2001 Nov 7

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Organic Chemistry
  • Polymers and Plastics
  • Materials Chemistry

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Organic solvent-free enzymatic transformation of poly(ε-caprolactone) into repolymerizable oligomers in supercritical carbon dioxide'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this