Lipase catalyzed synthesis of bio-based polyamide 5.6: an alternative route

This article presents a novel and sustainable approach to the synthesis of polyamide 5.6 by using cadaverine (pentane-1,5-diamine) as a bio-based monomer and lipase enzyme as a biocatalyst. The aim of the study is to show that it is possible to use renewable resources and enzymes for the synthesis of high molecular weight polyamides with low environmental impact, which can be an alternative to petroleum-based polyamides. The article provides a detailed account of the enzyme catalyzed polymerization process, including the optimization of reaction conditions and the characterization of the resulting polymer. The synthesized polyamide was characterized by various techniques, including Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). The results showed that the physical and thermal properties of the enzymatically synthesized bio-based polyamide are on par with its petroleum-based counterparts, which are widely used in the plastic industry.