Preparation of Stereoregular Isotactic Poly(mandelic acid) through Organocatalytic Ring‐Opening Polymerization of a Cyclic O‐Carboxyanhydride

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Poly(mandelic acid) (PMA) is an aryl analogue of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and a biodegradable analogue of polystyrene. The preparation of stereoregular PMA was realized using a pyridine/mandelic acid adduct (Py⋅MA) as an organocatalyst for the ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of the cyclic O ‐carboxyanhydride ( man OCA). Polymers with a narrow polydispersity index and excellent molecular‐weight control were prepared at ambient temperature. These highly isotactic chiral polymers exhibit an enhancement of the glass‐transition temperature ( T g ) of 15 °C compared to the racemic polymer, suggesting potential future application as high‐performance commodity and biomedical materials.