Robust Y and Lu TrenSal catalysts for ring-opening polymerisation

Fazekas, Eszter, Etcheverry-Berrios, Alvaro, Nichol, Gary S, Piligkos, Stergios, Brechin, Euan K and Garden, Jennifer A ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9027-4931 (2025) Robust Y and Lu TrenSal catalysts for ring-opening polymerisation. Polyhedron, 266. 117308. ISSN 0277-5387

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Abstract

Mono and bimetallic cage-like TrenSal complexes based on rare-earth metals Y and Lu were synthesised and fully characterised by single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction, multinuclear NMR and IR spectroscopy, and MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry. These robust and air-stable complexes are active catalysts for the ring-opening polymerisation of rac-lactide. While the polymerisation activity is low, the complexes remain active in air using unpurified monomers, and are highly unusual examples of metal–organic cages applied in polymerisation. MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry studies of the obtained polymers revealed H and OBn end-capped chains suggesting that an ‘activated monomer’ mechanism predominates when BnOH is used as an exogenous initiator.