Catalytic Ring-Opening Polymerization of Renewable Macrolactones to High Molecular Weight Polyethylene-like Polymers
Abstract
The catalytic ring-opening polymerization of macrolactones to polyethylene-like polyesters was investigated using aluminum–salen complexes as the initiators. Contrary to the common understanding that high molecular weights in these reactions can only be achieved by enzymatic ring-opening polymerization due to the absence of ring tension in macrolactones, the aluminum–salen complexes produces poly(pentadecalactone)s with number-average molecular weights ( M n ) of over 150 000 g/mol. Moreover, the same catalyst is also active in catalyzing the ROP of small and medium size lactones, which makes these aluminum–salen complexes highly potential catalysts for the cROP of lactones irrespective of ring size. These results show that it is possible to polymerize macrolactones to high molecular weight polyethylene-like polymers using cheap and robust metal-based catalysts. Even the so-called medium-sized lactones (ring size: 9–12) can be polymerized with a reasonably good activity to high molecular weight products, which is truly exceptional. These results complement the common theory of ring-tension-driven cROP.
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ROP of a few macrolactones (ring size = 14, 16) has been successfully applied to prepare long-chain polyesters with similar structures but higher and more predictable molecular weights than those obtained from the polycondensation of fatty acids.
“ROP of a few macrolactones (ring size = 14, 16) have been successfully applied to prepare longchain polyesters with similar structures but higher and more predictable molecular weights than the ones obtained from the polycondensation of fatty acids.[279][280][281]”
From Catalysis as an Enabling Science for Sustainable Polymers (2018) · cites this paper as [279]
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- Authors
- van der Meulen, I., Gubbels, E., Huijser, S., Sablong, R., Koning, C. E., Heise, A., & Duchateau, R.
- Affiliations
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, Den Dolech 2, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Eindhoven University of Technology (NL)
- Polymer Technology Group Eindhoven BV, Het Kranenveld, P.O. Box 6284, 5600 HG Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Dublin City University (IE)
- Corresponding author
- Heise, Andreas
- Duchateau, Rob
- Venue
- Macromolecules
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Published
- 2011-05-06
- Volume
- 44
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 4301-4305
- ISSN
- 0024-9297 (ISSN-L)
- 1520-5835
- OpenAlex
- W2156638648
- Cited by
- 140
- References
- 55
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 4.71
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Macromolecules (publishedVersion)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (publishedVersion)
- TU/e Research Portal (publishedVersion)
- TU/e Research Portal (submittedVersion)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Biomaterials › biodegradable polymer synthesis and properties
- Physical Sciences › Chemical Engineering › Process Chemistry and Technology › Carbon dioxide utilization in catalysis
- Physical Sciences › Chemistry › Organic Chemistry › Advanced Polymer Synthesis and Characterization
- Keywords
- macrolactones, high molecular weight polymers, ring tension, metal catalysts, renewable monomers
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