PRODUCTION OPTICALLY ACTIVE POLYESTER

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an optically active polyester useful as a biodegradable polymer simply under a mild condition by reacting a chiral carbon-containing lactone with a chiral carbon-free lactone in the presence of a hydrolase. SOLUTION: A chiral carbon-containing lactone (e.g.β-butyrolactone) is reacted with a chiral carbon-free lactone such as 12-dodecanolide orε- caprolactone in the presence of a hydrolase (e.g. lipase) in a solvent such as isooctane under heating for 6 hours mixed with chloroform and the enzyme is removed by filtration. The filtrate is concentrated under reduced pressure and the formed polymer is dried in vacuum to give the objective optically active polyester useful as a biodegradable polymer inexpensively, simply under mild conditions.