Process for the production of methyl methacrylate

1. A process of producing methyl methacrylate or derivatives thereof comprising the steps of;

(i) converting 2-butanone to methyl propionate using a Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase, and

(ii) treating the methyl propionate produced to obtain methyl methacrylate or derivatives thereof.

2. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the methyl propionate is treated to produce methyl methacrylate or methacrylic acid by reaction with formaldehyde or a suitable source thereof in the presence of a suitable catalyst.

3. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase is a wild type enzyme and wherein bacterial sources of the wild type Baeyer-Villiger Monooxygenase enzyme are bacteria from the following bacterial genera; Acinetobacter, Rhodococcus, Arthrobacter, Brachymonas, Nocardia, Exophiala, Brevibacterium, Gordonia, Novosphingobium, Streptomyces, Therniobda, Xanthobacter, Mycobacterium, Comamonas, Thermobifidar or Pseudomonas.

4. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase is a wild type enzyme deriving from the bacterial species Acinetobacter calcoaceticus NCIMB 9871 or Rhodococcus jostii RHA1 or Rhodococcus sp. HI-31 or Xanthobacter flavus or Brachymonas petroleovorans.

5. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase is a type I, type II or type O Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase.

6. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase is a type I Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase selected from one of the following enzyme groups: a cyclohexanone monooxygenases (CHMO) EC number 1.14.13.22; a phenylacetone monooxygenases (PAMO) EC number 1.14.13.92; a 4-hydroxyacetophenone monooxygenase (HAPMO) EC number 1.14.13.84; an acetone monooxygenases (ACMO); a methyl ketone monooxygenases (MEKA); a cyclopentadecanone monooxygenases (CPDMO); a cyclopentanone monooxygenases (CPMO); a steroid monooxygenases (STMO).

7. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase is a cyclohexanone monoxygenase, a 4-hydroxyacetophenone monooxygenase, a cyclopentadecanone monooxygenase or an acetone monoxygenase, selected from one of the following enzymes: cyclohexanone monooxygenase from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus NCIMB 9871, cyclohexanone monooxygenases from Xanthobacter flavus , cyclohexanone monooxygenases from Rhodococcus sp. HI-31, cyclohexanone monoxygenase from Brachymonas petroleovorans, 4-hydroxyacetophenone monooxygenase, cyclopentadecanone monooxygenase, or acetone monooxygenase from Gordonia sp. TY-5.

8. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase is a cyclohexanone monoxygenase, or an acetone monoxygenase, selected from: cyclohexanone monooxygenase from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus NCIMB 9871, cyclohexanone monooxygenases from Xanthobacter flavus , cyclohexanone monooxygenases from Rhodococcus sp. HI-31, cyclohexanone monoxygenase from Brachymonas petroleovorans, or acetone monooxygenase from Gordonia sp. TY-5.

9. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase is selected from a cyclohexanone monoxygenase, a 4-hydroxyacetophenone monooxygenase, or a cyclopentadecanone monooxygenase.

10. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase is a cyclohexanone monooxygenase.

11. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase is cyclohexanone monooxygenase deriving from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus NCIMB 9871, Xanthobacter flavus or Rhodococcus sp. HI-31.

12. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase is a 4-hydroxyacetophenone monooxygenase deriving from Pseudomonas flourescans.

13. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase is a cyclopentadecanone monooxygenase deriving from Pseudomonas sp. HI-70.

14. A process according to claim 1 , wherein at least one co-solvent is included in the reaction mixture of step (i), wherein the co-solvent is selected from one of the following: methanol, 2-butanol, tent-butanol, dioxane, acetone or acetonitrile.

15. A process according to claim 14 , wherein the co-solvent used is methanol.

16. A process according to claim 14 , wherein the concentration of co-solvent/substrate is at 1000:1 or greater mol:mol of Baeyer-Villiger Monoxygenase.

17. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of methyl propionate: ethyl acetate production by the Baeyer-Villiger Monoxygenase is at least 1:5.

18. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the Baeyer Villiger monoxygenase converts 2-butanone to methyl propionate at an absolute level of at least 2% selectivity.

19. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the Baeyer Villiger Monooxygenase converts 2-butanone to methyl propionate at a relative level of at least 20%.

20. A method of preparing polymers or copolymers of methyl methacrylate or derivatives thereof comprising the steps of:

(i) preparation of methyl methacrylate or derivatives thereof in accordance with the process of claim 1 ;

(ii) polymerisation of the methyl methacrylate or derivatives thereof prepared in

(i), optionally with one or more comonomers, to produce polymers or copolymers thereof.

21. A method according to claim 20 , wherein the comonomers are monoethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids and dicarboxylic acids and their derivatives.

22. A method according to claim 20 , wherein the comonomers are selected from: acrylic acid, methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, propyl acrylate, n-butyl acrylate, iso-butyl acrylate, t-butyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, hydroxyethyl acrylate, iso-bornyl acrylate, methacrylic acid, methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, propyl methacrylate, n-butyl methacrylate, iso-butyl methacrylate, t-butyl methacrylate, 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate, hydroxyethyl methacrylate, lauryl methacrylate, glycidyl methacrylate, hydroxypropyl methacrylate, iso-bornyl methacrylate, dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, tripropyleneglycol diacrylate, styrene, α-methyl styrene, vinyl acetate, isocyanates, acrylonitrile, butadiene, butadiene and styrene (MBS) and ABS.

23. A process according to claim 6 , wherein a cyclohexanone monooxygenases (CHMO) is GenBank: BAA86293.1; a phenylacetone monooxygenases (PAMO) is Swiss-Prot: Q47PU3; a 4-hydroxyacetophenone monooxygenase (HAPMO) is GenBank: AAK54073.1; an acetone monooxygenases (ACMO) is GenBank: BAF43791.1; a methyl ketone monooxygenases (MEKA) is GenBank: ABI15711.1; a cyclopentadecanone monooxygenases (CPDMO) is GenBank: BAE93346.1; a cyclopentanone monooxygenases (CPMO) is GenBank: BAC22652.1; and a steroid monooxygenases (STMO) is GenBank: BAA24454.

24. A process according to claim 7 , wherein cyclohexanone monooxygenases from Xanthobacter flavus is GenBank: CAD10801.1, cyclohexanone monooxygenases from Rhodococcus sp. HI-31 is GenBank: BAH56677.1, cyclohexanone monoxygenase from Brachymonas petroleovorans is GenBank: AAR99068.1, 4-hydroxyacetophenone monooxygenase is Q93TJ5.1, cyclopentadecanone monooxygenase is GenBank: BAE93346.1, and acetone monooxygenase from Gordonia sp. TY-5 is Genbank: BAF43791.1.

25. A process according to claim 8 , cyclohexanone monooxygenases from Xanthobacter flavus is GenBank: CAD10801.1, cyclohexanone monooxygenases from Rhodococcus sp. HI-31 is GenBank: BAH56677.1, cyclohexanone monoxygenase from Brachymonas petroleovorans is GenBank: AAR99068.1, and acetone monooxygenase from Gordonia sp. TY-5 is Genbank: BAF43791.1.

26. A process according to claim 11 , wherein the cyclohexanone monooxygenase deriving from Xanthobacter flavus is GenBank: CAD10801.1 and the cyclohexanone monooxygenase deriving from Rhodococcus sp. HI-31 is GenBank: BAH56677.1.

27. A method according to claim 21 , wherein the derivatives are esters, amides or anhydrides.

28. A method according to claim 22 , wherein the isocyanates are toluene diisocyanate or p,p′-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate.