Enzyme-PISA: An Efficient Method for Preparing Well-Defined Polymer Nano-Objects under Mild Conditions

Abstract

Enzyme catalysis is a mild, efficient, and selective technique that has many applications in organic synthesis as well as polymer synthesis. Here, a novel enzyme-catalysis-induced reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT)-mediated dispersion polymerization for preparing AB diblock copolymer nano-objects with complex morphologies at room temperature is described. Taking advantage of the room-temperature feature, it is shown that pure, worm-like polymer nano-objects can be readily prepared by just monitoring the viscosity. Moreover, it is demonstrated that inorganic nanoparticles and proteins can be loaded in situ into vesicles by this method. Finally, a novel oxygen-tolerant RAFT-mediated dispersion polymerization initiated by enzyme cascade reaction that can be carried out in open vessels is developed. The enzyme-initiated RAFT dispersion polymerization provides a facile platform for the synthesis of various functional polymer nano-objects under mild conditions.

Keywords: PISA; diblock copolymers; enzyme catalysis; oxygen-tolerant.