Biotechnologically produced
poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate] (PHB) was subjected to
catalytic
depolymerization in the melt and in solution. In the melt
depolymerization yields crotonic acid beside
linear oligomers according to an ester pyrolysis reaction independent
of the catalyst used. In solution
cyclic oligomers were obtained via back-biting reactions.
Efficient catalysts for this reaction are dibutyltin
dimethoxide and p-toluenesulfonic acid. The
thermodynamic parameters of the depolymerization of PHB
to yield
(R,R,R)-4,8,12-trimethyl-1,5,9-trioxacyclododeca-2,6,10-trione
(TBL) were determined from
calorimetric measurements by Lebedev et al. as a function of
temperature at standard pressure (p =
101.325 kPa) and are at T = 400 K:
ΔH°depol = −43
kJ·mol-1,
ΔS°depol = 66
J·K-1 mol-1, and
ΔG°depol =
−70 kJ·mol-1. The experimental
results are in full agreement with these values. Polymerization of
TBL
in the melt with dibutyltin dimethoxide as initiator results in
poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate] (PHB‘) of
low
molecular weight (M
n = 5 × 103),
the spectroscopic characteristics are identical with those of
the
biotechnologically produced material. The thermodynamic parameters
of the polymerization were
determined from calorimetric measurements by Lebedev et al. as a
function of temperature; they are at
standard pressure (p = 101.325 kPa) and a polymerization
temperature of T = 400 K:
ΔH°pol = 12
kJ·mol-1,
ΔS°pol = −32
J·K-1·mol-1,
and ΔG°pol = 25
kJ·mol-1. These results
contradict the polymerization
experiment. The factors which may contribute to a decrease of
ΔG°pol are discussed.