Open Access

ARTICLE

Synthesis of poly(ω-pentadecalactone) using Lipase Immobilized onto a Renewable Carrier, Rice husk ash and their Characterization

CANSU ULKER TURAN^1,*, YUKSEL GUVENILIR¹

1 Istanbul Technical University, Department of Chemical Engineering, 34469, Istanbul, Turkey.

* Corresponding Author: e-mail:

Journal of Polymer Materials 2021, 38(3-4), 271-280. https://doi.org/10.32381/JPM.2021.38.3-4.8

Abstract

Rice husk ash is a side-product of rice production; thus, it is a cheap, abundant, and renewable material, and utilized as an enzyme carrier to immobilize Candida antarctica lipase B. In this study, Candida antarctica lipase B immobilized onto rice husk ashes was used to catalyze ring opening polymerization of 16-membered lactone, ω-pentadecalactone. In order to determine the best polymerization conditions for highest molar mass polymer, reactions were proceeded at various temperatures and time periods. The best reaction conditions were obtained as 80°C and 6 hours (M_n = 34255 g mol^-1). Molecular structure of this polymer sample was confirmed via proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹ H-NMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Thermal properties were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Consequently, poly(ω-pentadecalactone) was synthesized enzymatically with rapid polymerization tendency and improved thermal properties which were quite close to low-density polyethylene. Successful polymerization results showed that Candida antarctica lipase B immobilized onto rice husk ashes may be a good alternative to commercial immobilized form, Novozyme 435, as a result of its comparable activity and low cost.

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Keywords

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