Advances in catalytic methods have facilitated the ring-opening copolymerization of epoxides and cyclic anhydrides to afford aliphatic and semi-aromatic polyesters. By making use of commercially available, bio-renewable, and readily synthesized monomers, epoxide/cyclic anhydride ring-opening copolymerization accesses structurally and functionally diverse polyesters with tunable thermomechanical properties. Unlike traditional step-growth approaches, this chain-growth strategy achieves atom economy, controlled molecular weight, and low dispersity. The most successful catalyst systems employ a metal salen complex in conjunction with a nucleophilic cocatalyst to initiate polymerization and control monomer enchainment. Yet current catalyst/cocatalyst systems typically require high loadings and are prone to transesterification and epimerization side reactions that degrade the polymer backbone. Recent efforts in catalyst development have afforded a bifunctional ring-opening copolymerization catalyst that maintains excellent activity at low concentrations. This strategy of tethering the catalyst and cocatalyst not only preserves catalytic activity under formerly unproductive conditions, but also controls chain-end reactivity to suppress deleterious side reactions. The bifunctional catalyst system thus affords desirable polyester materials with improved efficiency and fidelity.

Design and study of bifunctional catalytic systems for polyester synthesis via the alternating ring-opening copolymerization of epoxides and cyclic anhydrides

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.