To gain better insight into mechanistic features of enzyme-catalyzed malolactonate polymerization, reactionswith propyl malolactonate were analyzed while varying enzyme concentration, reaction media composition,and reaction temperature. Monomer conversion and product molecular weights were characterized by
1HNMR and MALDI-TOF MS, respectively. A high extent of thermal polymerization of propyl malolactonatewas observed, while the polymer chain length in all reactions was controlled by the elimination of
![](/images/gifchars/alpha.gif)
-hydrogenfrom propyl malolactonate with formation of a new initiator and the new chains. The most efficient enzymaticcatalysis occurred in toluene (2.11 M monomer) at 60
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
C.
Candida rugosa lipase (10 wt %) acceleratedpolymerization 25-fold over the rate of thermal polymerization. The maximum poly(propyl malate) number-average molecular weight obtained was 5000 Da at 20 wt % enzyme with a polydispersity of 1.15. Thesevalues compare with 1800 Da and 1.5, respectively, in the absence of enzyme.