Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)


Print Feedback Export to File
5167885 
Journal Article 
Chemoselective Polymerizations from Mixtures of Epoxide, Lactone, Anhydride, and Carbon Dioxide 
Romain, C; Zhu, YQ; Dingwall, P; Paul, S; Rzepa, HS; Buchard, A; Williams, CK 
2016 
Yes 
Journal of the American Chemical Society
ISSN: 0002-7863
EISSN: 1520-5126 
138 
12 
4120-4131 
English 
27003333 
WOS:000373518800032 
Controlling polymer composition starting from mixtures of monomers is an important, but rarely achieved, target. Here a single switchable catalyst for both ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of lactones and ring-opening copolymerization (ROCOP) of epoxides, anhydrides, and CO, is investigated, using both experimental and theoretical methods. Different combinations of four model monomerse-epsilon-caprolactone, rydohexene oxide, phthalic anhydride, and carbon dioxide-are investigated using a single dizinc catalyst. The catalyst switches between the distinct polymerization cycles and shows high monomer selectivity, resulting in block sequence control and predictable compositions (esters and carbonates) in the polymer chain. The understanding gained of the orthogonal reactivity of monomers, specifically controlled by the nature of the metal-chain end group, opens the way to engineer polymer block sequences. 
Chemistry; ring-opening polymerization, one-pot synthesis, propylene-oxide,; epsilon-caprolactone, cyclohexene oxide, alternating copolymerization,; diblock copolymers, cyclic anhydrides, dizinc catalyst, redox control