Green synthesis of polymer materials via enzyme- initiated RAFT polymerization

Abstract

Enzymes are well-known biocatalysts for natural metabolic reactions and synthetic organic reactions. For many decades, enzymatic catalysis has been successfully implemented for the in vitro synthesis of polymers and their modifications; however, in recent years, we have witnessed unprecedented attention towards leveraging reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization-based versatile techniques. This review intends to give an overview of the existing articles in this emerging field of enzyme-catalysed RAFT polymerization with a special focus on novel strategies for the enzyme-initiated RAFT method, including cascade-catalysed RAFT, RAFT-mediated polymerization-induced self-assembly (RAFT-PISA), photo-enzymatic RAFT and “grafting from” RAFT. It also provides an outlook on the burgeoning role of enzymes in the green and high-throughput synthesis of sustainable and precision RAFT polymers under mild conditions with high efficiency, specificity and selectivity and further discusses the opportunities and insights into enzymatic catalyses to yield novel polymers for biomedical use via green polymer chemistry.