Highly active rare earth catalysts for the solution polymerization of ?-caprolactone

Abstract

By using γ-butyrolactone (γ-BL) as the reaction media, highly active catalysts--light rare earth chloride-epoxidy-γ--BL-for the solution polymerization of e-caprolactone, have been obtained for the first time. With these catalyst, PCL with molecular weight as his as 40x104(Mv) can be prepared at 60°C for 1.5 hr. The amount of epoxide in catalyst solution, catalyst aging temperature and time affect the catalyst activity significantly. The mechanism study shows that in γ-BL, the weakening of Ln-Cl bonds by the donation of coordinated γ-BL with Ln3+ and the homogenous effect promote the reaction between light rare earth chloride and epoxide. The produced rare earth alkoxide initiates CL polymerization via a ‘coordination-insertion’ mechanism with Acyl-oxygen bond cleavage.