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Updated: Jan 24, 2026

Enzymatic Synthesis of Epoxidized Metabolites of Docosahexaenoic, Eicosapentaenoic, and Arachidonic Acids
Published on: June 28, 2019
Dual catalysis for the copolymerisation of epoxides and lactones
Naomi E Clayman1, Lilliana S Morris, Anne M LaPointe
1Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5080, USA. waymouth@stanford.edu.
Abstract:
A dual catalysis system was developed to synthesize hydrolyzable polyether-polyester copolymers from propylene oxide and cyclic esters such as γ-butyrolactone, δ-valerolactone, and ε-caprolactone. A bimetallic chromium catalyst active for the enantioselective polymerisation of propylene oxide and an organocatalyst active for the ring-opening polymerisation of lactones were used in conjunction with an alcohol chain shuttling agent to create new copolymers. The monomer and alcohol ratios were varied to yield a wide range of copolymers with varying monomer ratios, molecular weights, and crystallinities.
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