Synthesis and Electrospinning of Polycaprolactone from an Aluminium-Based Catalyst: Influence of the Ancillary Ligand and Initiators on Catalytic Efficiency and Fibre Structure.

In the present study, we investigated the catalytic performance of a 2,2'-methylenebis(6--butyl-4-methylphenol) (MDBP)⁻aluminium complex for the ring-opening polymerisation (ROP) of ε-caprolactone in combination with various alcohols as initiators. Three different alcohols were investigated: 1-adamantanemethanol (), 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluoro-1-octanol () and isopropanol (). Samplings of polycaprolactone (PCL) at various reaction times showed a linear increase in the polymer molecular weight with time, with very narrow polydispersity, confirming the living nature of the catalytic system.