Copolyesters of ε-caprolactone and l-lactide catalyzed by a tetrabutylammonium phthalimide- N -oxyl organocatalyst.

Aliphatic polyesters are biocompatible materials that can be used in biomedical applications. We report here the use of tetrabutylammonium phthalimide- N -oxyl catalyst (TBAPINO), as a thermally stable organocatalyst for the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of cyclic esters under mild conditions. In the solution ROP of ε-caprolactone (ε-CL), quantitative conversion and M n of ∼20 000 g mol -1 are achieved in a wide temperature range from -15 to 60 °C. Under bulk condition, the conversion of ε-CL reaches over 85% at 120 °C within 2 h. The living ROP character of l-lactide (l-LA) catalyzed over TBAPINO is proved by multiple additions of monomer in the bulk polymerization. The catalyst shows comparable selectivity towards the ring-opening polymerization of l-LA and ε-CL. Their copolymerization over TBAPINO is carried out in one-pot bulk condition in terms of the reaction time, monomer feed ratio, and sequence of addition. The colorless poly(ε-caprolactone- co -lactide) (PCLA) is obtained with considerable conversion of both monomers with the M n over 22 000 g mol -1 .