Preparation of low molecular weight polylysine and polyornithine in high yield

1. A process for the preparation of a polylysine polymer comprising repeating units corresponding to Formula 3 or a salt thereof and having a lysine-basis weight average molecular weight from about 5,500 to about 12,000 Daltons, the process comprising:

hydrolyzing a polylysine intermediate comprising repeating units corresponding to Formula 3 or a salt thereof and having a lysine-basis weight average molecular weight from about 12,500 to about 22,000 Daltons, wherein

Formula 3 has the structure:

n is 4; and

wherein said polylysine polymer is a homopolymer of lysine.

2. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein preparation of said polylysine intermediate comprises

removing a nitrogen protecting group from a protected polylysine intermediate comprising repeating units of Formula 2 or a salt thereof and having a lysine-basis weight average molecular weight from about 12,500 Daltons to about 22,000 Daltons, wherein

Formula 2 has the structure:

R 1 is an amino protecting group; and

n is 4.

3. The process as set forth in claim 2 wherein preparation of said protected polylysine intermediate comprises polymerizing an N-carboxyanhydride compound of Formula 1, wherein

Formula 1 has the structure:

R 1 is an amino protecting group; and

n is 4.

4. The process of claim 2 wherein hydrolyzing the polylysine intermediate and removing the nitrogen protecting group from the protected polylysine intermediate are carried out concurrently.

5. The process of claim 2 wherein the amino protecting group is carbobenzyloxy, t-butoxycarbonyl, or allyloxycarbonyl.

6. The process of claim 3 wherein the polymerization is conducted in the presence of an initiator.

7. The process of claim 6 wherein the initiator comprises a metal alkoxide.

8. The process of claim 3 wherein the polymerization is conducted in an organic solvent medium and deprotection of the N-protected polylysine intermediate comprises introducing a combination of a mineral acid and an organic acid into said polymerization medium, thereby forming a precipitate comprising repeating units consisting of the N ε -salt of the repeating units of Formula 3 and said mineral acid.

9. The process of claim 3 comprising removing oligomers and other low molecular weight components from a solution comprising the deprotected polylysine intermediate prior to hydrolysis of said deprotected intermediate.

10. The process of claim 9 wherein the deprotected polylysine intermediate and associated oligomers and/or other low molecular weight components are taken up into an aqueous medium, and the aqueous medium containing the deprotected intermediate polymer and oligomers and/or other low molecular weight components is contacted with a surface of a dialysis membrane having an aqueous medium on the opposite surface thereof into which oligomers and other low molecular weight components are received in the dialysis, thereby producing a retentate comprising deprotected polylysine intermediate of reduced oligomer content.

11. The process of claim 10 wherein the retentate is lyophilized to yield solid deprotected polylysine.

12. The process of claim 11 wherein the solid deprotected polylysine is taken up into an aqueous solution wherein it is contacted with a mineral acid for the hydrolysis.

13. The process of claim 2 wherein the hydrolysis of the deprotected polylysine intermediate is carried out for a reaction time calculated from the viscosity molecular weight of the deprotected polylysine intermediate.

14. The process of claim 3 wherein the polymerization of the N-carboxyanhydride compound is conducted in a polymerization reaction medium comprising a nonpolar solvent.

15. The process of claim 3 wherein the yield of polylysine polymer is greater than about 45% based on the quantity of the N-carboxyanhydride starting material.

16. The process of claim 1 wherein the polylysine polymer is poly-L-lysine, poly-D-lysine, or a racemic mixture thereof.

17. The process of claim 13 wherein an algorithm is used to calculate the hydrolysis reaction time, the algorithm being:

Time Required =[(viscosity molecular weight of unhydrolyzed polymer−21,000) ×0.012]+72(±10%) hours.

18. The process of claim 1 wherein the polylysine polymer comprising repeating units corresponding to Formula 3 or a salt thereof and having a lysine-basis weight average molecular weight from about 5,500 to about 12,000 Daltons has a polydispersity index of about 1.2 to about 1.5.

19. A process for the preparation of a polylysine or polyornithine polymer comprising repeating units corresponding to Formula 3 or a salt thereof and having a lysine-basis or ornithine-basis weight average molecular weight from about 5,500 to about 12,000 Daltons, the process comprising:

hydrolyzing a polylysine or polyornithine intermediate comprising repeating units corresponding to Formula 3 or a salt thereof and having a lysine-basis or ornithine-basis weight average molecular weight from about 12,500 to about 22,000 Daltons, wherein

Formula 3 has the structure:

n is 3 or 4; and

the hydrolysis of the polylysine or polyornithine intermediate is carried out for a reaction time calculated according to an algorithm, the algorithm being:

Time Required =[(viscosity molecular weight of unhydrolyzed polymer−21,000) ×0.012]+72(±10%) hours.