ONE-POT, NEAT RING OPENING POLYMERIZATION TO PREPARE RESIN

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide polyester synthesis processes, and more specifically, methods of ring opening polymerization (ROP) of cyclic monomer components using a nucleophilic transesterification catalyst system in a neat, one-pot reaction to obtain homopolymers and copolymers.SOLUTION: A process uses neat conditions (i.e., without any added solvent or cosolvent), in the absence of anhydrous conditions (e.g., possibly under ambient humidity), using an organic nucleophilic transesterification catalyst, e.g., 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine (DMAP) to make, for example, polylactide, polycaprolactone, polycaprolactone-b-polylactide and associated copolymers with high conversion and low polydispersity. Other organic molecules (e.g., 4-pyrrolidinopyridine (PPY) and phosphines) promote ROP of cyclic monomers in the presence of a suitable nucleophilic initiator.