Enzymatic polymerization is a potential area in

polymer A polymer () is a chemical substance, substance or material that consists of very large molecules, or macromolecules, that are constituted by many repeat unit, repeating subunits derived from one or more species of monomers. Due to their br ...

research, providing a sustainable and adaptable alternative to conventional

polymerization In polymer chemistry, polymerization (American English), or polymerisation (British English), is a process of reacting monomer molecules together in a chemical reaction to form polymer chains or three-dimensional networks. There are many fo ...

processes. Its capacity to manufacture polymers with exact structures in mild circumstances opens up new possibilities for material design and application, helping to progress both research and industry. It is a novel and sustainable method of synthesizing

s that utilizes the catalytic properties of

enzyme An enzyme () is a protein that acts as a biological catalyst by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrate (chemistry), substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different mol ...

s to both initiate and regulate the

process. It works under mild circumstances, usually at room temperature and pressure as well as in aqueous environments, in contrast to conventional chemical polymerization techniques that frequently need for harsh conditions and harmful reagents. This approach allows fine control over the structure and functionality of polymers while simultaneously consuming less energy and having a less environmental impact. This polymerization technique has the considerable advantage of being compatible with

renewable resource A renewable resource (also known as a flow resource) is a natural resource which will replenish to replace the portion depleted by usage and consumption, either through natural reproduction or other recurring processes in a finite amount of t ...

s. Many of the monomers utilized in these procedures come from natural sources, which aligns with the ideas of

green chemistry Green chemistry, similar to sustainable chemistry or circular chemistry, is an area of chemistry and chemical engineering focused on the design of products and processes that minimize or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances. Wh ...

and sustainability. This alignment is especially crucial given growing environmental concerns and the quest for more sustainable industrial operations. The potential applications of polymers produced via enzymatic polymerization are vast, spanning the fields of

biomedicine Biomedicine (also referred to as Western medicine, mainstream medicine or conventional medicine)

materials science Materials science is an interdisciplinary field of researching and discovering materials. Materials engineering is an engineering field of finding uses for materials in other fields and industries. The intellectual origins of materials sci ...

, and

environmental engineering Environmental engineering is a professional engineering Academic discipline, discipline related to environmental science. It encompasses broad Science, scientific topics like chemistry, biology, ecology, geology, hydraulics, hydrology, microbiolo ...

. For example, biodegradable polymers produced using this method are very useful for medical applications such as

drug delivery systems In pharmacology and toxicology, a route of administration is the way by which a drug, fluid, poison, or other substance is taken into the body. Routes of administration are generally classified by the location at which the substance is applied. ...

biosensor A biosensor is an analytical device, used for the detection of a chemical substance, that combines a biological component with a physicochemical detector. The ''sensitive biological element'', e.g. tissue, microorganisms, organelles, cell rece ...

s and

tissue engineering Tissue engineering is a biomedical engineering discipline that uses a combination of cells, engineering, materials methods, and suitable biochemical and physicochemical factors to restore, maintain, improve, or replace different types of biolo ...

scaffolds. Furthermore, enzymatic polymerization opens up fascinating possibilities for the production of innovative

biomaterial A biomaterial is a substance that has been Biological engineering, engineered to interact with biological systems for a medical purpose – either a therapeutic (treat, augment, repair, or replace a tissue function of the body) or a Medical diag ...

s with tailored characteristics for specific industrial applications. __TOC__

Mechanism of enzymatic polymerization

Enzymatic polymerization can happen in a variety of ways, including:

Condensation Polymerization In polymer chemistry, condensation polymers are any kind of polymers whose process of polymerization involves a condensation reaction (i.e. a small molecule, such as water or methanol, is produced as a byproduct). Natural proteins as well as s ...

: Enzymes such as lipases and proteases catalyze the step-growth polymerization of monomers by establishing ester, amide, or peptide bonds, releasing tiny molecules such as water or alcohol as waste.

Addition Polymerization Chain-growth polymerization ( AE) or chain-growth polymerisation ( BE) is a polymerization technique where monomer molecules add onto the active site on a growing polymer chain one at a time. There are a limited number of these active sites at an ...

: This method includes radical-mediated processes, in which enzymes such as peroxidases initiate polymerization by producing radical species that propagate the polymer chain.

Ring-Opening Polymerization In polymer chemistry, ring-opening polymerization (ROP) is a form of chain-growth polymerization in which the terminus of a polymer chain attacks cyclic monomers to form a longer polymer (see figure). The reactive center can be radical, anion ...

: Enzymes help to open cyclic monomers to produce linear polymers, which is a typical process for synthesizing polyesters and polyamides.

Types of enzymes used in polymerization

Polymerases, or polymerase enzymes, can catalyze the synthesis of different kinds of polymers. Key enzymes involved include:

Lipase In biochemistry, lipase ( ) refers to a class of enzymes that catalyzes the hydrolysis of fats. Some lipases display broad substrate scope including esters of cholesterol, phospholipids, and of lipid-soluble vitamins and sphingomyelinases; howe ...

s are used in the synthesis of polyesters and polyamides, lipases accelerate esterification and transesterification processes, which are required for polymer chain formation. In oxidative polymerization,

peroxidase Peroxidases or peroxide reductases ( EC numberbr>1.11.1.x are a large group of enzymes which play a role in various biological processes. They are named after the fact that they commonly break up peroxides, and should not be confused with other ...

s aid in the polymerization of phenolic and aniline derivatives, resulting in the production of conductive polymers.

Glycosyltransferase Glycosyltransferases (GTFs, Gtfs) are enzymes ( EC 2.4) that establish natural glycosidic linkages. They catalyze the transfer of saccharide moieties from an activated nucleotide sugar (also known as the "glycosyl donor") to a nucleophilic gl ...

s are necessary for polysaccharide formation because they catalyze the transfer of sugar moieties to create glycosidic linkages.

Protease A protease (also called a peptidase, proteinase, or proteolytic enzyme) is an enzyme that catalysis, catalyzes proteolysis, breaking down proteins into smaller polypeptides or single amino acids, and spurring the formation of new protein products ...

s are enzymes that help create peptide bonds, allowing amino acid monomers to be polymerized into polyamides or proteins.{{Cite journal , last1=Fukuoka , first1=Tokuma , last2=Tachibana , first2=Yoichi , last3=Tonami , first3=Hiroyuki , last4=Uyama , first4=Hiroshi , last5=Kobayashi , first5=Shiro , date=2002-05-01 , title=Enzymatic Polymerization of Tyrosine Derivatives. Peroxidase- and Protease-Catalyzed Synthesis of Poly(tyrosine)s with Different Structures , url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/bm020016c , journal=Biomacromolecules , volume=3 , issue=4 , pages=768–774 , doi=10.1021/bm020016c , pmid=12099821 , issn=1525-7797, url-access=subscription

References

Polymerization reactions