Poly(ε-lysine) and its derivatives via ring-opening polymerization of biorenewable cyclic lysine

Abstract

Poly(ε-lysine) (ε-PL) is an unusual cationic, naturally-occurring biopolymer furnished by microorganism fermentation processes. ε-PL has attracted extensive attention in areas from food and cosmetic additives to the pesticide and pharmaceutical industries, owing to its excellent biocompatibility and antimicrobial activity. However, the lack of molecular weight and structural diversity of ε-PL from the biosynthetic route appears to be an important limitation, leading to the composition and properties of the prepared polymers being difficult to regulate for further applications. Recently, we demonstrated an efficient chemosynthetic approach that relied on ring-opening polymerization of lysine derived ε-lactams to provide ε-PL with diverse molecular weights. In the following mini-review, the recent progress on the chemosynthesis of poly(ε-lysine) and its derivatives via ring-opening polymerization of biorenewable cyclic lysine has been summarized. Moreover, the future development of the chemosynthesis of poly(ε-lysine) and its derivatives will be discussed.