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Updated: Mar 10, 2026

Controlled Photoredox Ring-Opening Polymerization of O-Carboxyanhydrides Mediated by Ni/Zn Complexes
Published on: November 21, 2017
Ring-Opening Copolymerization of Epoxides and Cyclic Anhydrides with Discrete Metal Complexes: Structure-Property
Julie M Longo1, Maria J Sanford1, Geoffrey W Coates1
1Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Baker Laboratory, Cornell University , Ithaca, New York 14853-1301, United States.
Abstract:
Polyesters synthesized through the alternating copolymerization of epoxides and cyclic anhydrides compose a growing class of polymers that exhibit an impressive array of chemical and physical properties. Because they are synthesized through the chain-growth polymerization of two variable monomers, their syntheses can be controlled by discrete metal complexes, and the resulting materials vary widely in their functionality and physical properties. This polymer-focused review gives a perspective on the current state of the field of epoxide/anhydride copolymerization mediated by discrete catalysts and the relationships between the structures and properties of these polyesters.
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