<title>Horseradish-peroxidase-catalyzed polymerization of amphiphilic tyrosine derivatives in micelles</title>

There has been much interest in enzyme catalyzed organic synthesis because it allows the design and synthesis of new materials via chemically mild reaction schemes. This study reports on the horseradish peroxidase catalyzed polymerization of the amphiphilic, C10 alkyl monomer derivative of d and l isomers of tyrosine in micellar solutions. The methodology has been developed to improve the solubility and hence processability of these phenolic polymers. The technique involves the formation of emulsions or micelles of the amphiphilic tyrosines in aqueous medium through manipulation of the solution pH and subsequent enzymatic polymerization. The solution pH, concentrations of the tyrosine derivatives, hydrogen peroxide and the enzyme have been optimized for maximum conversion. The physico- chemical properties of the resulting polymers have been studied by various spectroscopic techniques. Limited stereo- specificity of the reaction has been demonstrated by kinetic methods. Thin films of these polymeric materials have been fabricated using the Langmuir-Blodgett film technique.