Abstract
Recent topics on in vitro synthesis of polyesters by lipase catalysis are reviewed. Lipase, an enzyme catalyzing an ester bond-cleavage reaction by water in living cells, induces the reverse reaction of hydrolysis, leading to polymer production by a bond-forming reaction. Polyester syntheses have been achieved from various monomer combinations, typically oxyacids or their esters, dicarboxylic acids or their derivatives/glycols, and lactones under mild reaction conditions. By utilizing characteristic catalytic function of lipases, enantio-, regio-, and chemoselective polymerizations proceed to give functional polymers, many of which are difficult to synthesize by conventional methods.
