One-Step Synthesis of Amphiphilic Diblock Copolymers from Bacterial Poly([R]-3-hydroxybutyric acid)

Catalyzed transesterification in the melt is used to produce diblock copolymers of poly([R]-3-hydroxybutyric acid), PHB, and monomethoxy poly(ethylene glycol), mPEG, in a one-step process. Bacterial PHB of high molecular weight is depolymerized by consecutive and partly simultaneous reactions: pyrolysis and transesterification. The formation of diblocks is accomplished by the nucleophilic attack from the hydroxyl end-group of the mPEG catalyzed by bis(2-ethylhexanoate) tin. The resulting diblock copolymers are amphiphilic and self-assemble into sterically stabilized colloidal suspensions of PHB crystalline lamellae.