Ring Opening Polymerization of Lactide under Solvent-Free Conditions Catalyzed by a Chlorotitanium Calix[4]arene Complex

✍ Scribed by Marco Frediani; David Sémeril; Alfredo Mariotti; Luca Rosi; Piero Frediani; Laura Rosi; Dominique Matt; Loïc Toupet

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 265 KB
• Volume: 29
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1022-1336
• DOI: 10.1002/marc.200800383

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

A novel chlorotitanium calix[4]arene complex was synthesized and tested, without activator, as catalyst for the polymerization of L‐ and rac‐lactide under solvent‐free conditions. The catalyst displayed high activity, which depended on the monomer‐to‐catalyst molar ratio, and led to highly isotactic PLLA. Despite concomitant transesterification during the polymerization, polylactide formation was well‐controlled, the molar mass distribution indexes remaining in the restricted range of 1.2–1.4.

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