Enzyme Catalyzed Polymerization of Phenol and Aniline Derivatives on a Langmuir Trough to Form Ordered 2-D Polymer Films

Abstract

Early work demonstrated that polymeric materials may be synthesized from substi tuted phenols and aromatic amines via a horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzyme catalyzed reaction in the bulk. We have elaborated a novel approach for this enzyme mediated polymer synthesis using in situ polymerization employing a Langmuir trough. The Langmuir method is used to arrange the reactants at the molecular level prior to and during polymerization. This methodology provides straightforward control over the resulting structure, order and orientation of the final polymer. This increased control leads to improved processability, and functional characteristics for the polymers in comparison to the bulk synthesized polymers. This novel synthetic approach and the resultant ordered polymeric products can provide a useful foundation for the design of biological devices.