title: First example of N-heterocyclic carbenes as catalysts for living polymerization: organocatalytic ring-opening polymerization of cyclic esters.
abstract: A novel metal-free, organocatalytic approach to living polymerization is presented. N-heterocyclic carbenes were employed as nucleophilic catalysts for the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of cyclic ester monomers. The catalysts is used in combination with an initiator, such as an alcohol, which generates an alpha-end group bearing the ester from the initiating alcohol upon ring-opening and a hydroxyl functional omega-chain end that propagates the chain. This class of catalyst proved to be more reactive than tertiary amine and phosphine nucleophiles, producing narrowly dispersed polymers of predictable molecular weights at room temperature in 1-2 h. Catalysis with respect to both initiating alcohol and monomer was observed. Control of the alpha and omega end-groups was demonstrated with a pyrene-labeled initiator, allowing the preparation of well-defined macromolecular architectures. Analogous to the ROP of cyclic esters using biocatalysts, the polymeriztion pathway using the N-heterocyclic carbenes is believed to ensue through a monomer-activated mechanism.
authors.affiliation: IBM Almaden Research, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, California 95120, USA.
authors.forename: Eric F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Connor
authors.forename: Gregory W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Nyce
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Möck
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hedrick
mesh_terms: D002208:Caproates / Q000737:chemistry; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D007783:Lactones / Q000737:chemistry; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008697:Methane / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry*; D011091:Polyesters / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D002208:Caproates; D006838:Hydrocarbons; D007783:Lactones; D011091:Polyesters; C030011:carbene; C016240:polycaprolactone; C033616:poly(lactide); C121056:caprolactone; D008697:Methane