Crosslinking of Electrospun Fibres from Unsaturated Polyesters by Bis-Triazolinediones (TAD).

Crosslinking of an unsaturated aliphatic polyester poly(globalide) (PGl) by bistriazolinediones (bisTADs) is reported. First, a monofunctional model compound, phenyl-TAD (PTAD), was tested for PGl functionalisation. 1H-NMR showed that PTAD-ene reaction was highly efficient with conversions up to 97%. Subsequently, hexamethylene bisTAD (HM-bisTAD) and methylene diphenyl bisTAD (MDP-bisTAD) were used to crosslink electrospun PGl fibres via one- and two-step approaches. In the one-step approach, PGl fibres were collected in a bisTAD solution for in situ crosslinking, which resulted in incomplete crosslinking. In the two-step approach, a light crosslinking of fibres was first achieved in a PGl non-solvent. Subsequent incubation in a fibre swelling bisTAD solution resulted in fully amorphous crosslinked fibres. SEM analysis revealed that the fibres' morphology was uncompromised by the crosslinking. A significant increase of tensile strength from 0.3 ± 0.08 MPa to 2.7 ± 0.8 MPa and 3.9 ± 0.5 MPa was observed when PGI fibres were crosslinked by HM-bisTAD and MDP-bisTAD, respectively. The reported methodology allows the design of electrospun fibres from biocompatible polyesters and the modulation of their mechanical and thermal properties. It also opens future opportunities for drug delivery applications by selected drug loading.

Polyesters from Macrolactones Using Commercial Lipase NS 88011 and Novozym 435 as Biocatalysts.

The demand for environmentally friendly products allied with the depletion of natural resources has increased the search for sustainable materials in chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Polyesters are among the most widely used biodegradable polymers in biomedical applications. In this work, aliphatic polyesters (from globalide and ω-pentadecalactone) were synthesized using a new commercial biocatalyst, the low-cost immobilized NS 88011 lipase (lipase B from Candida antarctica immobilized on a hydrophobic support). Results were compared with those obtained under the same conditions using a traditional, but more expensive, commercial biocatalyst, Novozym 435 (lipase B from C. antarctica immobilized on Lewatit VP OC). When NS 88011 was used in the polymerization of globalide, longer reaction times (240 min)-when compared to Novozym 435-were required to obtain high yields (80-90 wt%). However, higher molecular weights were achieved. When poly(ω-pentadecalactone) was synthesized, high yields and molecular weights (130,000 g mol-1) were obtained and the enzyme concentration showed strong influence on the polyester properties. This is the first report describing NS 88011 in polymer synthesis. The use of this cheaper enzymatic preparation can provide an alternative for polyester synthesis via enzymatic ring-opening polymerization.

Effect of drying method on mechanical, thermal and water absorption properties of enzymatically crosslinked gelatin hydrogels.

Enzymatically crossliked gelatin hydrogel was submitted to two different drying methods: air drying and freeze drying. The resulting polymeric tridimensional arrangement (compact or porous, respectively) led to different thermal and swelling properties. Significant differences (p < 0.05) on thermal and mechanical characteristics as well as swelling in non-enzymatic gastric and intestinal simulated fluids (37 ºC) were detected. Water absorption data in such media was modelled according to Higuchi, Korsmeyer-Peppas, and Peppas-Sahlin equations. Freeze dried hydrogel showed Fickian diffusion behavior while air dried hydrogels presented poor adjustment to Higuchi model suggesting the importance of the relaxation mechanism at the beginning of swelling process. It was possible to conclude that the same gelatin hydrogel may be suitable to different applications depending on the drying process used.

Effect of drying method on mechanical, thermal and water absorption properties of enzymatically crosslinked gelatin hydrogels

ABSTRACT Enzymatically crossliked gelatin hydrogel was submitted to two different drying methods: air drying and freeze drying. The resulting polymeric tridimensional arrangement (compact or porous, respectively) led to different thermal and swelling properties. Significant differences (p < 0.05) on thermal and mechanical characteristics as well as swelling in non-enzymatic gastric and intestinal simulated fluids (37 ºC) were detected. Water absorption data in such media was modelled according to Higuchi, Korsmeyer-Peppas, and Peppas-Sahlin equations. Freeze dried hydrogel showed Fickian diffusion behavior while air dried hydrogels presented poor adjustment to Higuchi model suggesting the importance of the relaxation mechanism at the beginning of swelling process. It was possible to conclude that the same gelatin hydrogel may be suitable to different applications depending on the drying process used.

Immobilization of Candida antarctica Lipase B on Magnetic Poly(Urea-Urethane) Nanoparticles.

Poly(urea-urethane) (PUU) nanoparticles with encapsulated superparamagnetic magnetite (Fe3O4) were obtained by interfacial miniemulsion polymerization and used as support for immobilization of lipase B from Candida antarctica (CALB). CALB enzyme was immobilized on magnetic PUU nanoparticles in two steps. The enzyme was immobilized in the lyophilized nanoparticles (magnetic PUU) after the support synthesis in phosphate buffer (pH 7.6) containing CALB, by the contact between nanoparticles and enzymatic solution. The mixture was incubated at 30 °C in an orbital shaker during 0.5 until 6 h to determine the time for maximum immobilization efficiency. The enzyme activity was determined by esterification reactions between lauric acid and propanol. Residual activities above 95 % in relation to free enzyme were obtained in 1 h of immobilization with enzyme concentration of 0.55 mg/mL. FTIR spectrum and SEM-FEG images were used to confirm the presence of CALB on magnetic support after immobilization and stability of support even after immobilization process, respectively. Thermal (40, 60, and 80 °C) and pH (pH 4, 7, and 10) stabilities, storage stability, and reuse were evaluated. CALB immobilized derivatives showed high stabilities with residual activities of 95, 100, and 100 % at 40, 60, and 80 °C, respectively, in 6 h of incubation. After incubation in different pH values, CALB immobilized derivative presented activities of 81, 76, and 69 % in relation to activities in the beginning of the stabilization process in pH 4, 7, and 10, respectively. Furthermore, CALB immobilized derivative reduces only 15 % of its activity after 30 days of storage at 4 °C. Reuse results showed that immobilized CALB on magnetic PUU nanoparticles led to 95 % of geranyl oleate conversion after 8 cycles of application demonstrating high stability of the CALB immobilized derivative under different conditions.

Solvent-Free Production of Bioflavors by Enzymatic Esterification of Citronella (Cymbopogon winterianus) Essential Oil.

Enzymatic esterification of citronella essential oil towards the production of geranyl and citronellyl esters may present great scientific and technological interest due to the well-known drawbacks of the chemical-catalyzed route. In this context, this work reports the maximization of geranyl and citronellyl esters production by esterification of oleic and propionic acids in a solvent-free system using a commercial immobilized lipase as catalyst. Results of the reactions showed that the strategy adopted for the experimental design proved to be useful in evaluating the effects of the studied variables on the reaction conversion using Novozym 435 as catalyst. The operating conditions that maximized the production of each ester were determined, leading, in a general way, to conversions of about 90% for all systems. New experimental data on enzymatic esterification of crude citronella essential oil for geranyl and citronellyl esters production in solvent-free system are reported in this work.

Solvent-free geranyl oleate production by enzymatic esterification.

This work reports the optimization of geranyl propionate production by esterification of geraniol and propionic acid in a solvent-free system using a commercial lipase as catalyst. For this purpose, a sequential strategy was performed applying two experimental designs. The operating conditions that optimized geranyl propionate production were determined to be 40 °C, geraniol to propionic acid molar ratio of 3:1, 150 rpm and 10 wt% of enzyme, with a resulting reaction conversion of about 93%. After determining the optimum reaction parameters, a kinetic study was carried out evaluating the influence of substrates molar ratio, enzyme concentration and temperature on reaction conversion. Results obtained in this step allow to conclude that an excess of alcohol (acid to alcohol molar ratio of 1:6), relatively low enzyme concentration (5 wt%), temperature of 40 °C and substrates molar ratio of 1:1 afforded nearly complete reaction conversion after 30 min of reaction. New experimental data on enzymatic esterification of geraniol and propionic acid for geranyl propionate production are reported in this work, showing a promising perspective of the technique to overcome the well-known drawbacks of the chemical-catalyzed route.

Erratum to: Solvent-free geranyl oleate production by enzymatic esterification.

This study reports the maximization of geranyl oleate production by esterification of geraniol and oleic acid in a solvent-free system using a commercial lipase as catalyst. The operating conditions that maximized geranyl oleate production were determined to be 40 °C, geraniol to oleic acid molar ratio of 5:1, 150 rpm and 10 wt% of enzyme, with a resulting reaction conversion of about 93%. After determining the best reaction parameters, a kinetic study was performed and the results obtained in this step allow to conclude that an excess of alcohol (alcohol to acid molar ratio of 5:1), relatively low enzyme concentration (5 wt%) and temperature of 50 °C afforded nearly complete reaction conversion after 1 h of reaction. New experimental data on enzymatic esterification of geraniol and oleic acid for geranyl oleate production are reported in this work, showing a promising perspective of the technique to overcome the inconvenience of the chemical-catalyzed route.