Biocatalysis toward New Biobased Building Blocks for Polymeric Materials

This chapter describes the role of biocatalysis in the context of these paradigm shifts: not only in a classical way via exemplary biocatalysis cases and criteria for new biobased building blocks (newBBBBs), and not only as an isolated scientific competence used for producing a defined set of chemicals for modern plastics, but also reflecting on the industrial framework and underlying principles pinpointing the intrinsic role of biocatalysis in the technology toolbox for our products of the near future. It also chapter discusses some examples that give an overview of established oxidoreductase transformations that are relevant for building blocks for polymeric materials. Switching the resources from fossil to renewables also increases the chance that ultradominance of building blocks as we know in a fossil-based chemical industry, will gradually relax and give more diversification in building blocks used for the materials of a truly bioeconomy.