Issue 1, 2015

Magnesium complexes bearing N,N-bidentate phenanthrene derivatives for the stereoselective ring-opening polymerization of rac-lactides

Abstract

Three unreported magnesium complexes (1: R = C6H5, 2: R = 2,6-Et2C6H3, 3: R = 2-tBuC6H4) bearing N,N-bidentate phenanthrene derivatives derived from Schiff bases were synthesized. These complexes were characterized using 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and elemental analyses and employed for rac-lactide and L-lactide polymerization. Complex 1 showed the highest activity among these Mg complexes for the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of L-lactide, and complex 3 showed the highest stereoselectivity for the ROP of rac-lactide, achieving partially heterotactic polylactide (PLA) with a Pr of 0.76. The polymerization kinetics utilizing 2 as a catalyst were researched in detail. The kinetics of the polymerization data revealed that the rate of polymerization was first-order with respect to monomer, and had an order of 0.97 with respect to catalyst. There was a linear relationship between the L-lactide conversion and the number-average molecular weight of PLA.

Graphical abstract: Magnesium complexes bearing N,N-bidentate phenanthrene derivatives for the stereoselective ring-opening polymerization of rac-lactides

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
16 Oct 2014
Accepted
20 Nov 2014
First published
20 Nov 2014

RSC Adv., 2015,5, 440-447

Author version available

Magnesium complexes bearing N,N-bidentate phenanthrene derivatives for the stereoselective ring-opening polymerization of rac-lactides

B. Gao, D. Zhao, X. Li, Y. Cui, R. Duan and X. Pang, RSC Adv., 2015, 5, 440 DOI: 10.1039/C4RA12548G

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