ALPHA-1,3-GLUCAN GRAFT COPOLYMERS

• US 20200131281A1
• Filed: 10/25/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2018
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Nutrition & Biosciences USA 4, Inc. (International Flavors & Fragrances Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: DuPont Industrial Biosciences USA, LLC (DuPont de Nemours, Inc.)
• Inventors: GUAN, RONG, GAGNON, MICHAEL D., ILTCHENKO, NIKITA, BRUN, YEFIM, HOWE, LAURIE A.
• Granted Patent: US 11,859,022 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: C08B 37/0009 alpha-D-Glucans, e.g. polydextrose, alternan, glycogen; (alpha-1,4)(alpha-1,6)-D-Glucans; (alpha-1,3)(alpha-1,4)-D-Glucans, e.g. isolichenan or nigeran; (alpha-1,4)-D-Glucans; (alpha-1,3)-D-Glucans, e.g. pseudonigeran; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 9/1048 Glycosyltransferases (2.4)
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 19/04 Polysaccharides, i.e. compounds containing more than five saccharide radicals attached to each other by glycosidic bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 19/18 produced by the action of a glycosyl transferase, e.g. alpha-, beta- or gamma-cyclodextrins

Abstract

Compositions are disclosed herein comprising a graft copolymer that comprises: (i) a backbone comprising an alpha-1,3-glucan ether or ester compound, and (ii) one or more alpha-1,3-glucan side chains comprising at least about 50% alpha-1,3 glycosidic linkages. Further disclosed are reactions for producing such graft copolymers, as well as their use in various applications.

Claims

1. A composition comprising a graft copolymer that comprises:

a backbone comprising an alpha-1,3-glucan ether or ester compound that has a degree of substitution (DoS) of about 0.001 to about 3.0, and

(ii) one or more alpha-1,3-glucan side chains comprising at least about 50% alpha-1,3 glycosidic linkages.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the alpha-1,3-glucan ether or ester compound comprises at least about 50% alpha-1,3 glycosidic linkages.

3. The composition of claim 1, wherein the weight-average degree of polymerization (DPw) of the alpha-1,3-glucan ether or ester compound is at least about 15.

4. The composition of claim 1, wherein the backbone comprises an alpha-1,3-glucan ether compound.

5. The composition of claim 4, wherein the alpha-1,3-glucan ether compound comprises an ether-linked group that is anionic or cationic when the compound is comprised in an aqueous composition.

6. The composition of claim 4, wherein the alpha-1,3-glucan ether compound comprises an ether-linked carboxymethyl group.

7. The composition of claim 1, wherein:

(a) the alpha-1,3-glucan side chains comprise at least about 90% alpha-1,3 glycosidic linkages, and/or

(b) the DP or DPw of said one or more alpha-1,3-glucan side chains is at least about 100.

8. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition is an aqueous composition, optionally wherein the graft copolymer is insoluble in the aqueous composition.

9. The composition of claim 8, wherein aqueous composition is a dispersion of the graft copolymer, optionally wherein the dispersion comprises less than 1.5 w/v % of the graft copolymer.

10. The composition of claim 8, wherein:

(a) the zeta potential of the graft copolymer in the aqueous composition is over ±

15 mV, and/or

(b) the particle size of the graft copolymer in the aqueous composition is less than 1 micron.

11. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition is a household care product, personal care product, industrial product, pharmaceutical product, or food product.

12. The composition of claim 1, wherein the graft copolymer is produced in a reaction composition comprising at least water, sucrose, said alpha-1,3-glucan ether or ester compound, and a glucosyltransferase enzyme that synthesizes alpha-1,3-glucan with at least about 50% alpha-1,3 glycosidic linkages, optionally wherein the composition is said reaction composition.

13. A method of producing a graft copolymer, said method comprising:

(a) contacting, in a reaction composition, at least (i) water, (ii) sucrose, (iii) an alpha-1,3-glucan ether or ester compound that has a degree of substitution (DoS) of about 0.001 to about 3.0, and (iv) a glucosyltransferase enzyme that synthesizes alpha-1,3-glucan comprising at least about 50% alpha-1,3 glycosidic linkages,

whereby a graft copolymer according to the composition of claim 1 is produced, optionally wherein the viscosity of the reaction composition increases by at least 10% at least 1 hour following the contacting step; and

(b) optionally, isolating the graft copolymer produced in step (a).

14. A method of providing an aqueous composition, said method comprising:

(a) providing a graft copolymer according to the composition of claim 1, and

(b) dispersing or dissolving the graft copolymer into an aqueous liquid, thereby producing the aqueous composition.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the graft copolymer provided in step (a) is dry.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the graft copolymer provided in step (a) is insoluble in aqueous conditions, and wherein the graft copolymer is dispersed into the aqueous liquid in step (b).

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the aqueous composition produced in step (b) comprises less than 1.5 w/v % of the graft copolymer.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the viscosity of the aqueous composition produced in step (b) is at least 10% higher than the viscosity of the aqueous liquid.