In Situ Enzymatic Polymerization of Ethylene Brassylate Mediated by Artificial Plant Cell Walls in Reactive Extrusion

Herein, we describe a solvent-free bioinspired approach for the polymerization of ethylene brassylate. Artificial plant cell walls (APCWs) with an integrated enzyme were fabricated by self-assembly, using microcrystalline cellulose as the main structural component. The resulting APCW catalysts were tested in bulk reactions and reactive extrusion, leading to high monomer conversion and a molar mass of around 4 kDa. In addition, we discovered that APCW catalyzes the formation of large ethylene brassylate macrocycles. The enzymatic stability and efficiency of the APCW were investigated by recycling the catalyst both in bulk and reactive extrusion. The obtained poly(ethylene brassylate) was applied as a biobased and biodegradable hydrophobic paper coating.