Recent Studies on Single Site Metal Alkoxide Complexes as Catalysts for Ring Opening Polymerization of Cyclic Compounds

Abstract

The selection of the catalyst is central to being able to control features and to better understand microstructures of polymers. New single-site metal alkoxide catalysts allow chemists to prepare regio/stereo regular polymers or copolymers that meet increasingly demanding performance requirements. These catalysts produce high molecular weights polymers with narrow polydispersity indexes or living properties and essentially regular polymers in structures. This review includes the synthesis, activity, and mechanistic aspects of especially single-site metal alkoxide catalysts with examples from my previous studies and recently published similar articles, beginning with an extensive survey on the aluminum, titanium, zirconium, and tin catalysts used to make polyethers, polyesters, and their derivatives. This review also compares the effects of ligands, substituents on ligands, and central metal atoms on ROP reactions. This review will provide the basis for the researchers who seek the new synthesis and application of catalysts in the future.