Polymerization of a water soluble glucose vinyl ester monomer with tensoactive properties synthesized by enzymatic catalyst

The aim of this study was to synthesize a reducing sugar branched polymer, using d-glucose as carbohydrate and divinyl adipate (DVA) as vegetable oil derivative, and to use it as an environmentally-friendly material. Several reaction conditions were examined in order to reach high conversion rates during product formation. The main parameters evaluated were: type of protease (neutral and alkaline) used as catalyst, reaction temperature (30 °C, 50 °C and 70 °C), sugar/DVA molar ratio (1/1, 1/2, 1/4) and water/DMF content (0%, 1%, 3%, 5%, 10%, 20% (v/v)). After choosing the best conditions, we initiated transesterification of d-glucose with DVA by adding the alkaline protease from Bacillus subtilis (40 mg/mL) as catalyst in a micro-aqueous organic medium (DMF/water: 95/5, v/v) in a shake incubator for 5 days to produce a 6-O-vinyladipoyl d-glucose monomer. The surface properties of this monomer were compared with a commercial product used as an industrial demulsifier. The vinyl sugar ester has then underwent chemical polymerization with potassium persulfate and hydrogen peroxide to produce an amphiphilic polymer with sugar branches. The values obtained for number-average molar mass <Mn>, weigh-average molar mass <Mw> and dispersivity <Mw/Mn> were 1.6 × 103 g/mol, 2.7 × 103 g/mol and 1.75, respectively.