Enzymatic polymerization of phenols

The horseradish peroxidase-catalyzed oxidative polymerization of substituted phenols with the use of hydrogen peroxide as an oxidizer in an aqueous-organic medium has been studied. The presence of an aqueous buffer controlling activity of the catalyst is the necessary condition for this reaction. The rate of the process decreases with a reduction in the fraction of water in the reaction mixture. It has been shown that the oxidizer should be gradually added in portions to the reaction mixture. The resulting oligomers convert into high-molecular-mass crosslinked products under heating.