Alkali Metal Carboxylates: Simple, Efficient, and Industrial Relevant Catalysts for Controlled Polymer Synthesis

Abstract

Polymer materials play a pivotal role in shaping modern society. The continuous development of polymer materials can be largely attributed to innovations in polymerization methods, especially in the development of new catalysts. When pursuing high-performance catalysts, it is crucial to consider their cost and safety for practical applications. Alkali metal carboxylates (AMCs) are widely available simple chemicals, and some of them are used as food additives. In the past few years, our group has demonstrated the ability of such simple compounds to catalyze the ring-opening polymerization of cyclic esters, cyclic carbonates, epoxides, and episulfides. Additionally, AMCs have demonstrated their efficacy in facilitating the ring-opening alternating copolymerization of cyclic anhydrides and cyclic ethers, resulting in the production of polyesters in a well-controlled manner. Moreover, AMCs can also catalyze the complicated self-switchable polymerization of a mixture of at least three monomers, yielding block copolymers with well-controlled block components and architectures. This account summarizes these successful examples, offering mechanistic insights and an outlook.