Lewis Pair Catalysts in the Polymerization of Lactide and Related Cyclic Esters.

Xinlei Li,Changjuan Chen,Jincai Wu

doi:10.3390/molecules23010189

Xinlei Li, Changjuan Chen + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23010189

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Abstract

Polyesters, especially poly(lactide) (PLA), are used widely as biodegradable and biocompatible materials, yet their controllable synthesis, especially the stereoselective synthesis of polyesters, is still a challenge. Recently some excellent Lewis pair catalysts for ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of lactide and related cyclic esters have emerged. This review article will highlight the key advances in the ROP catalyzed by Lewis pair compounds with the aim of encouraging the wider application of Lewis pair catalysts in the polymerization of lactide and related cyclic esters.

Highlights

Over the past three decades, biodegradable and biocompatible polyesters and their copolymers have attracted considerable attention due to their wide applications in packaging, agricultural, and new biomedical and pharmaceutical fields
As a new strategy of combining the respective advantages of both metal complex catalysts and organocatalysts, Lewis pair complexes have emerged recently as new kind of catalyst, and we focus on this topic in this review
Lewis to base can initiating/propagating alcohol via the hydrogen bonding it nucleophilic attack activate initiating/propagating alcohol via the hydrogen bonding to make it nucleophilic enough to activate initiating/propagating via the hydrogen bonding tothen make nucleophilic enough to the monomer or directly play asalcohol an initiator to attack monomer; theitthen polymerization of cyclic attack the monomer or directly play as an initiator tothe attack the monomer; the polymerization attack the monomer or directly play as an initiator to attack the monomer; the polymerization esters mediated by these by

Summary

Introduction

Over the past three decades, biodegradable and biocompatible polyesters and their copolymers have attracted considerable attention due to their wide applications in packaging, agricultural, and new biomedical and pharmaceutical fields. Due to the combination of unquenched acid and base activities, the activate cyclic esters using the Lewis acid and. Lewispair paircan can activate cyclic esters using the Lewis acidthe and the base. Lewis to base can initiating/propagating alcohol via the hydrogen bonding it nucleophilic attack activate initiating/propagating alcohol via the hydrogen bonding to make it nucleophilic enough to activate initiating/propagating via the hydrogen bonding tothen make nucleophilic enough to the monomer or directly play asalcohol an initiator to attack monomer; theitthen polymerization of cyclic attack the monomer or directly play as an initiator tothe attack the monomer; the polymerization attack the monomer or directly play as an initiator to attack the monomer; the polymerization esters mediated by these by. Of cyclic esters mediated by these Lewis pair complexes can proceed smoothly.

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