(734d) Enzyme Catalyzed Polymerization Reactions in Microreactors

Application of microreactor technologies enable improved safety, selectivity and yield in a wide range of chemical reactions in addition to new measurement methods that are often faster, cheaper and more accurate than traditional methods. In this study, we have considered a model system, Candida Antartica Lipase B (CAL B) catalyzed ring opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone to polycaprolactone. Commercially available macroporous polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) beads immobilized with CAL B were loaded in the inexpensive metal (aluminum) microchannel reactors. Metal microreactors enabled us to perform polymerization reactions in organic media and at high temperatures. Reaction products were characterized as a function of residence time using Raman spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). By implementing a suitable reactor design we achieve (1) faster polymerization rate and (2) higher molecular weight of polycaprolactone compared to that obtained in batch reactors at similar experimental conditions. Experiments were also performed in continuous mode for an extended time to understand the change of enzyme activity as a function of time.