Undiscovered Potential: Ge Catalysts for Lactide Polymerization.

Polylactide (PLA) is a high potential bioplastic that can replace oil-based plastics in a number of applications. To date, in spite of its known toxicity, a tin catalyst is used on industrial scale which should be replaced by a benign catalyst in the long run. Germanium is known to be unharmful while having similar properties as tin.

Towards New Robust Zn(II) Complexes for the Ring-Opening Polymerization of Lactide Under Industrially Relevant Conditions.

The synthesis of bio-based and biodegradable plastics is a hot topic in research due to growing environmental problems caused by omnipresent plastics. As a result, polylactide, which has been known for years, has seen a tremendous increase in industrial production. Nevertheless, the manufacturing process using the toxic catalyst Sn(Oct) is very critical.

Heterolepic -Ketoiminate Zinc Phenoxide Complexes as Efficient Catalysts for the Ring Opening Polymerization of Lactide.

Zinc phenoxide complexes LZnOAr - (L=MeNCHNC(Me)CHC(Me)O) and LZnOAr - (L=MeNCHNC(Me)CHC(Me)O) with donor-functionalized -ketoiminate ligands (L) and OAr substituents (Ar=Ph , ; 2,6-Me-CH , ; 3,5-Me-CH , ; 4-Bu-CH , ) with tuneable electronic and steric properties were synthesized and characterized. - adopt binuclear structures in the solid state except for , while they are monomeric in CDCl solution. - are active catalysts for the ring opening polymerization (ROP) of lactide (LA) in CHCl at ambient temperature and the catalytic activity is controlled by the electronic and steric properties of the OAr substituent, yielding polymers with high average molecular weight ( ) and moderately controlled molecular weight distribution (MWDs).

New Kids in Lactide Polymerization: Highly Active and Robust Iron Guanidine Complexes as Superior Catalysts.

Polylactide is a biodegradable versatile material based on annually renewable resources and thus CO -neutral in its lifecycle. Until now, tin(II)octanoate [Sn(Oct )] was used as catalyst for the industrial ring-opening polymerization of lactide in spite of its cytotoxicity. On the way towards a sustainable catalyst, three iron(II) hybrid guanidine complexes were investigated concerning their molecular structure and applied to the ring-opening polymerization of lactide.

Tuning a robust system: N,O zinc guanidine catalysts for the ROP of lactide.

Non-toxic, highly active and robust complexes are the holy grail as ideal green catalysts for the polymerisation of biorenewable and biodegradable polylactide. Four new zinc guanidine complexes [ZnCl2(TMG4NMe2asme)], [ZnCl2(TMG5Clasme)], [ZnCl2(TMG5Measme)] and [ZnCl2(TMG5NMe2asme)] with different electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups on the ligand's aromatic backbone have been synthesised. Ligands are derived from low-cost commercially available compounds and have been converted by a three- or four-step synthesis process into the desired ligand in good yields.