Simple In-Based Dual Catalyst Enables Significant Progress in ε-Decalactone Ring-Opening (Co)polymerization

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

A dual catalyst associating InCl 3 and triethylamine was found to promote controlled ring-opening polymerization of ε-decalactone (ε-DL), a monomer derived from sustainable resources. Polydecalactones (PDL) of well-defined structures with M n up to 30 000 g/mol ( Đ ≈ 1.2) have been obtained free of catalytic residues under mild conditions (toluene, 3M, 60 °C, 1–20 h). Besides the typical ester end-capped PDLs, amide end groups have been installed thanks to the ability of the dual catalyst to perform with primary amines as initiators. Block PDL- b -PCL/PCL- b -PDL and random P(DL- r -CL) copolymers have been also prepared by sequential and simultaneous ROP with ε-caprolactone, respectively. The absence of undesirable transesterifications reactions, as apparent from NMR, SEC, and DSC analyses, enable the preparation of well-defined copolymers.