Enzymatic Synthesis of Soluble Polyphenol

Enzymatic oxidative polymerization of phenol using peroxidase as catalyst has been carried out in a mixture of alcohol and buffer. Hydrogen peroxide (oxidizing agent) was added dropwise to the reaction mixture. Effects of the reaction parameters have been systematically investigated. The polymer solubility strongly depended on the buffer pH and content, and a polymer soluble in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) was obtained in good yields under appropriate reaction conditions. The solvent composition also affected the regioselectivity of the polymer. Purity and amount of the enzyme also affected the polymerization behaviors. By changing the concentration and addition rate of hydrogen peroxide, the molecular weight and solubility of the polymer could be controlled. Some solid properties of the resulting polyphenol were evaluated. From thermal analysis, the polymer was found to possess relatively high thermal stability.