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Updated: May 22, 2026

Controlled Photoredox Ring-Opening Polymerization of O-Carboxyanhydrides Mediated by Ni/Zn Complexes
Published on: November 21, 2017
Zinc undecylenate catalyst for the ring-opening polymerization of caprolactone monomers
Jing Hao1, Patricia C Granowski, Mihaela C Stefan
1Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Dallas, 800 West Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080, USA.
Abstract:
The ring-opening polymerization of two caprolactone monomers catalyzed by zinc undecylenate (ZU) is reported. Polymerizations were performed in bulk with benzyl alcohol (BnOH) as an initiator at 90 and 110 °C, respectively. A slower polymerization rate was observed for γ-octyloxy-ε-caprolactone as compared to ε-caprolactone. Diblock copolymers were synthesized by the sequential monomer addition at 90 and 110 °C. The kinetic studies performed for the ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone and γ-octyloxy-ε-caprolactone and the successful synthesis of diblock copolymers by the sequential monomer addition confirmed the controlled/living nature of zinc undecylenate catalyzed reactions.
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