Publication Type
Journal
Journal Name
Journal of the American Chemical Society
Publication Date
Page Numbers
12610 to 12611
Volume
129
Issue
42
Abstract
Highly isotactic polylactide with a high melting temperature was synthesized from rac-lactide through an organocatalytic route using dimeric phosphazene base 1-tert-butyl-2,2,4,4,4-pentakis(dimethylamino)-2�5,4�5-catenadi(phosphazene) (P2-t-Bu) catalyst at low temperature. Microstructural analysis of the prepared polymer using homodecoupled 1H NMR spectroscopy revealed the formation of a stereoblock architecture containing long isotactic sequence of R- and S- blocks in the main chain. A proposed mechanism involving chain-end control and stereoerror explains the stereoselective polymerization.