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In related work, postdoc Bishwabhusan Sahoo and Gross have been using Novozym 435 to catalyze the conjugation of natural polyols, such as glycerol, with poly(acrylic acid). "The esterification occurs with extraordinary selectivity under mild conditions without the need for activation of pendant acid groups," Sahoo notes. "We conduct the reactions in bulk by forming monophasic poly(acrylic acid)/glycerol liquids. The high regioselectivity of this biotransformation results in water-soluble poly(acrylic acid-co-glycerolacrylate) instead of cross-linked gels that would otherwise be formed by using traditional chemical catalysts."
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