Enzymatic synthesis and polymerization of isosorbide-based monomethacrylates for high-Tg plastics
Isosorbide is a stiff bicyclic diol derived from glycose-based polysaccharides, and is thus an attractive building block for novel rigid bioplastics. In the present work a highly regioselective biocatalytic approach for the synthesis of isosorbide 5-methacrylate was developed. The Lipozyme RM IM (Rhizomucor miehei lipase) catalyzed process is straightforward, easily scalable and chromatography-fre