Enzyme-mediated polymerization reactions: Peroxidase-catalyzed polyphenol synthesis

Peroxidase-catalyzed phenol polymerization in the presence of hydrogen peroxide has been extensively studied. The process offers many advantages over the conventional chemical process to produce phenol-based resins. The enzymatic process avoids the use of formaldehyde and results in minimal formation of by-products due to high specificity of the enzyme toward the reactants. A number of phenolic derivatives and aromatic amines can be polymerized in different reaction systems, such as bulk solvents, reversed micelles and Langmuir trough. The polymers produced exhibit morphology reflective of the templating effect of the medium used to prepare the materials. Polymer molecular weight and polydispersity can be controlled by suitable design of the reaction medium. Polymer characteristics such as structure, thermal and temporal stability, functionalization and processability are reviewed. Conductivity, nonlinear optical and related functional properties are discussed with regard to potential applications.