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Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Controlled Photoredox Ring-Opening Polymerization of O-Carboxyanhydrides Mediated by Ni/Zn Complexes
Published on: November 21, 2017
Zn(OAc)₂-Catalyzing Ring-Opening Polymerization of N-Carboxyanhydrides for the Synthesis of Well-Defined Polypeptides
Yanzhao Nie1, Xinmei Zhi2, Haifeng Du3
1State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess, College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China. nieyanzhao126@126.com.
Abstract:
Despite notable progress, the fabrication of well-defined polypeptides via controlled ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of α-amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides (NCAs) using convenient catalysts under mild conditions in a relatively short polymerization time is still challenging. Herein, an easily obtained catalyst system composed of zinc acetate and aniline was explored to mediate the fast ROP of γ-benzyl-l-glutamate-N-carboxyanhydride (BLG-NCA) monomer, to produce poly(γ-benzyl-l-glutamates) (PBLGs) with controllable molecular weights and narrow dispersity. Considering the excellent cooperative action of zinc acetate and a broad scope of aniline derivatives with different functional groups to control ROP of BLG-NCA, this method may offer a useful platform enabling the rapid generation of end-functionalized PBLG and block copolymers for numerous biomedical applications.
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