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Updated: Sep 24, 2025

Synthesis of Monodisperse Cylindrical Nanoparticles via Crystallization-driven Self-assembly of Biodegradable Block Copolymers
Published on: June 20, 2019
Binary catalytic system for homo- and block copolymerization of ε-caprolactone with δ-valerolactone
Yan Wang1, Yongle Han2, Lifang Zhang1,2,3
1The Center of Analysis and Test, Shanxi Normal University Linfen 041004 P. R. China.
Abstract:
The combined interaction of 2,3,6,7-tetrahydro-5H-thiazolo[3,2-a] pyrimidine (ITU) as the organocatalytic nucleophile with YCl3 as Lewis acid cocatalyst, generating ITU/YCl3, was employed for homo- and copolymerization of ε-caprolactone (CL) with δ-valerolactone (VL). Poly(caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(caprolactone) (PCL-PEG-PCL) triblock copolymer and poly(valerolactone)-poly(caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(caprolactone)-poly(valerolactone) (PVL-PCL-PEG-PCL-PVL) pentablock copolymer were successfully prepared by ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of CL employing ITU/YCl3 as catalyst in the presence of benzyl alcohol (BnOH) or poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as initiator, respectively. The reaction was systematically optimized, and the architecture, molecular weight and thermal properties of the polymers were characterized by NMR, FTIR, SEC and DSC analyses. Finally, a plausible polymerization mechanism was proposed.
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