Synthesis of Isotactic–Heterotactic Stereoblock (Hard–Soft) Poly(lactide) with Tacticity Control through Immortal Coordination Polymerization

A one‐pot method for the preparation of a new family of PLA materials is reported that combines heterotactic (soft) and isotactic stereoblocks (hard). The ring‐opening polymerization of rac‐lactide with a salan–rare‐earth‐metal–alkyl complex in the presence of excess triethanolamine was performed in an immortal mode to give three‐armed heterotactic poly(lactide) (soft) with excellent end‐hydroxy fidelity. The in situ addition of a salen–aluminum–alkyl precursor to the above polymerization system under any monomer‐conversion conditions activated the “dormant” hydroxy‐ended PLA chains to propagate through the incorporation of the remaining rac‐lactide monomer, but with isospecific selectivity (hard). The resultant PLA had a three‐armed architecture with controlled molecular weight and extremely narrow molecular‐weight distribution (PDI<1.08). More strikingly, each side‐arm simultaneously possessed highly heterotactic (soft) and highly isotactic (hard) segments and the ratio of these two stereoregular sequences could be swiftly adjusted by tuning the addition time of the salen–aluminum–alkyl precursor to the polymerization system. Therefore, star‐shaped hard–soft stereoblock poly(lactide)s with various P_m values and crystallinity were achieved in a single reactor for the first time. This strategy should be applicable to the synthesis of a series of new types of stereoblock polyesters by using an immortal‐polymerization process and a proper choice of specific, selective metal‐based catalysts.     

Poly(lactide) stereocomplexes: formation, structure, properties, degradation, and applications

Poly(lactide)s [i.e. poly(lactic acid) (PLA)] and lactide copolymers are biodegradable, compostable, producible from renewable resources, and nontoxic to the human body and the environment. They have been used as biomedical materials for tissue regeneration, matrices for drug delivery systems, and alternatives for commercial polymeric materials to reduce the impact on the environment. Since stereocomplexation or stereocomplex formation between enantiomeric PLA, poly(L-lactide) [i.e. poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA)] and poly(D-lactide) [i.e. poly(D-lactic acid) (PDLA)] was reported in 1987, numerous studies have been carried out with respect to the formation, structure, properties, degradation, and applications of the PLA stereocomplexes. Stereocomplexation enhances the mechanical properties, the thermal-resistance, and the hydrolysis-resistance of PLA-based materials. These improvements arise from a peculiarly strong interaction between L-lactyl unit sequences and D-lactyl unit sequences, and stereocomplexation opens a new way for the preparation of biomaterials such as hydrogels and particles for drug delivery systems. It was revealed that the crucial parameters affecting stereocomplexation are the mixing ratio and the molecular weight of L-lactyl and D-lactyl unit sequences. On the other hand, PDLA was found to form a stereocomplex with L-configured polypeptides in 2001. This kind of stereocomplexation is called "hetero-stereocomplexation" and differentiated from "homo-stereocomplexation" between L-lactyl and D-lactyl unit sequences. This paper reviews the methods for tracing PLA stereocomplexation, the methods for inducing PLA stereocompelxation, the parameters affecting PLA stereocomplexation, and the structure, properties, degradation, and applications of a variety of stereocomplexed PLA materials.     

Controlled synthesis of amphiphilic biodegradable polylactide‐grafted dextran copolymers

The whole controlled synthesis of novel amphiphilic polylactide (PLA)‐grafted dextran copolymers was achieved. The control of the architecture of such biodegradable and potentially biocompatible copolymers has required a three‐step synthesis based on the “grafting from” concept. The first step consisted of the partial silylation of the dextran hydroxyl groups. This protection step was followed by the ring‐opening polymerization of D ,L ‐lactide initiated from the remaining OH functions of the partially silylated polysaccharide. The third step involved the silylether group deprotection under very mild conditions. Based on previous studies, in which the control of the first step was achieved, this study is focused on the last two steps. Experimental conditions were investigated to ensure a controlled polymerization of D ,L ‐lactide, in terms of grafting efficiency, graft length, and transesterification limitation. After polymerization, the final step was studied in order to avoid degradation of both polysaccharide backbone and polyester grafts. The chemical stability of dextran backbone was checked throughout each step of the synthesis. PLA‐grafted dextrans and PLA‐grafted (silylated dextrans) were proved to adopt a core‐shell conformation in various solvents. Furthermore, preliminary experiments on the potential use of these amphiphilic grafted copolymers as liquid/liquid interface stabilizers were performed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2577–2588, 2004     

Effects of stereocomplexation on the physicochemical behavior of PLA/PEG block copolymers in aqueous solution

A series of polylactide/poly(ethylene glycol) (PLA/PEG) block copolymers were synthesized by ring‐opening polymerization of L ‐ or D ‐lactide in the presence of mono‐ or di‐hydroxyl PEG. The effects of stereocomplexation on the physicochemical behavior of PLA/PEG copolymers in aqueous solution were investigated by varying the degree of stereocomplexation or PLLA/PEG to PDLA/PEG ratio. In mixture solutions of insoluble and soluble copolymers, stereocomplexation strongly affects the solubility of the copolymers. In mixture solutions of soluble copolymers, both the size and aggregation number (N_agg) of the aggregates vary as a function of the degree of stereocomplexation. It is suggested that the size variation of the aggregates with increasing the degree of stereocomplexation is dependent on N_agg changes which are determined by two effects: the self‐adjusting of the aggregates so as to minimize the free energy and thus to increase the N_agg, and the kinetics of aggregation which tend to form more aggregates and thus to decrease the N_agg. Combination of the two opposite effects well explains the diverse variations of N_agg and size of the aggregates as a function of the degree of stereocomplexation. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012     

聚丙交酯及其共聚物的研究进展

聚丙交酯（PLA）是一种非常重要的生物医用材料,由于它在体内可降解、无毒、安全,在临床上得到了广泛的应用.为了适应更多、更广的医学应用,要求对聚丙交酯的降解速度、力学性能等进行调节控制,或者要求改善PLA的亲水性、生物相容性、细胞亲和性等等,为此合成了一系列PLA的共聚物,并对其性能进行了研究.本文对上述领域的研究进展进行了综述,结合了作者常年来在PLA共聚物的合成与性能方面的研究,分成四大类进行阐述：（1）丙交酯与其它内酯类的共聚;（2）丙交酯与聚乙二醇类大分子的共聚;（3）丙交酯与带有功能基团单体的共聚;（4）丙交酯与其它天然材料的共聚,并简要地叙述其在医学领域应用的前景.     

Stereocomplexes of Triblock Poly(lactide- PEG2000-lactide) as Carrier of Drugs

Triblock copolymers of poly(lactide)-poly(ethylene-glycol)-poly(lactide) (PLA-PEG₂₀₀₀-PLA) were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of lactide and PEG₂₀₀₀ diol as co-catalyst. Stereocomplexes with particle sizes ranging from nanometers to microns were obtained by mixing acetonitrile solutions of pairs of enantiomeric homopoly(lactide) and the triblock copolymers. The stereocomplexes exhibited higher crystalline melting temperatures than the optically pure polymers. The ratio of PLA terminals in the copolymers had a significant effect on their stereocomplex degradation and drug release. These stereocomplexes were used for the encapsulation of dexamethasone for controlled release applications. Dexamethasone phosphate loading capacity, in vitro release, degradation and stability of polymers and formulation were investigated for one month. An increase in the dexamethsone phosphate content in the stereocomplex or a decrease in the PLA ratio in the copolymer resulted in a faster release of drug and polymer degradation.     

From Living to “Immortal” Polymerization

Aluminum porphyrin is an excellent initiator for the living polymerizations of a wide variety of monomers such as epoxide, β-lactone, δ-lactone, ε-lactone, and lactide, and also for the alternating copolymerization of epoxide and cyclic acid anhydride or carbon dioxide, to give polymers and copolymers with narrow molecular weight distribution. Aluminum porphyrin was recently found to initiate also the living polymerization of methacrylic ester. In the polymerizations of epoxides and lactones initiated with aluminum porphyrin in the presence of an appropriate protic compound, polymers with narrow molecular weight can be obtained with the number of the polymer molecules more than those of the initiator. This fact demonstrates the “immortal” nature of the polymerization due to unusual reactivities of aluminum prophyrin.     

Linear and four‐armed poly(l‐lactide)‐block‐poly(d‐lactide) copolymers and their stereocomplexation with poly(lactide)s

Linear and four‐armed poly(l ‐lactide)‐block‐poly(d ‐lactide) (PLLA‐b‐PDLA) block copolymers are synthesized by ring‐opening polymerization of d ‐lactide on the end hydroxyl of linear and four‐armed PLLA prepolymers. DSC results indicate that the melting temperature and melting enthalpies of poly (lactide) stereocomplex in the copolymers are obviously lower than corresponding linear and four‐armed PLLA/PDLA blends. Compared with the four‐armed PLLA‐b‐PDLA copolymer, the similar linear PLLA‐b‐PDLA shows higher melting temperature (212.3 °C) and larger melting enthalpy (70.6 J g^?1). After these copolymers blend with additional neat PLAs, DSC, and WAXD results show that the stereocomplex formation between free PLA molecular chain and enantiomeric PLA block is the major stereocomplex formation. In the linear copolymer/linear PLA blends, the stereocomplex crystallites (sc) as well as homochiral crystallites (hc) form in the copolymer/PLA cast films. However, in the four‐armed copolymer/linear PLA blends, both sc and hc develop in the four‐armed PLLA‐b‐PDLA/PDLA specimen, which means that the stereocomplexation mainly forms between free PDLA molecule and the inside PLLA block, and the outside PDLA block could form some microcrystallites. Although the melting enthalpies of stereocomplexes in the blends are smaller than that of neat copolymers, only two‐thirds of the molecular chains participate in the stereocomplex formation, and the crystallization efficiency strengthens. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014 , 52, 1560–1567     

Stereocomplex Mediated Gelation of PEG-(PLA)2 and PEG-(PLA)8 Block Copolymers

Stereocomplex mediated hydrogels have been prepared by mixing solutions of polymers of opposite chirality of either PEG-(PLA)₂ triblock copolymers or PEG-(PLA)₈ star block copolymers. The critical gel concentrations of the mixed enantiomer solutions were considerably lower compared to polymer solutions containing only the single enantiomer. Moreover, gel-sol transition temperatures were increased and gel regions were expanded due to stereocomplexation. Rheology measurements showed that stereocomplexed hydrogels based on PEG-(PLA)₈ have higher storage moduli compared to those based on PEG-(PLA)₂. Stereocomplexed hydrogels prepared from 13 wt% PEG-(PLA)₂ solutions in PBS showed a storage modulus of 0.9 kPa at 37 °C, while at similar conditions stereocomplexed hydrogels of PEG-(PLA)₈ showed a storage modulus of 1.9 kPa at 10 wt%.     

Chemical upcycling of poly(lactide) plastic waste to lactate ester,lactide and new poly(lactide) under Mg-catalysis condition

Chemical upcycling of end-of-life poly(lactide) plastics to lactide, lactate ester and new poly(lactide) has been achieved by using magnesium bis[bis(trimethylsilyl)amide] [Mg(HMDS)₂] as promoter. Mg(HMDS)₂ showed high efficiency in l-lactide polymerization and poly(lactide) depolymerization. Mg(HMDS)₂/Ph₂CHOH catalytic system displayed high ring-opening selectivity and the characteristic of immortal polymerization. Taking advantage of transesterification, depolymerizations of end-of-life poly(lactide) plastics to lactate ester (polymer to value-added chemicals) and lactide (polymer to monomer) were achieved with high yields. Besides, a new “depolymerization-repolymerization” strategy was proposed to directly transform poly(lactide) into new poly(lactide). This work provides a theoretical basis for the design of polymerization and depolymerization catalysts and promotes the development of degradable polymers.     

Crystallization and stereocomplexation behavior of poly(D‐ and L‐lactide)‐b‐poly(N,N‐dimethylamino‐2‐ethyl methacrylate) block copolymers

The thermal properties, crystallization, and morphology of amphiphilic poly(D ‐lactide)‐b‐poly(N,N‐dimethylamino‐2‐ethyl methacrylate) (PDLA‐b‐PDMAEMA) and poly (L ‐lactide)‐b‐poly(N,N‐dimethylamino‐2‐ethyl methacrylate) (PLLA‐b‐PDMAEMA) copolymers were studied and compared to those of the corresponding poly(lactide) homopolymers. Additionally, stereocomplexation of these copolymers was studied. The crystallization kinetics of the PLA blocks was retarded by the presence of the PDMAEMA block. The studied copolymers were found to be miscible in the melt and the glassy state. The Avrami theory was able to predict the entire crystallization range of the PLA isothermal overall crystallization. The melting points of PLDA/PLLA and PLA/PLA‐b‐PDMAEMA stereocomplexes were higher than those formed by copolymer mixtures. This indicates that the PDMAEMA block is influencing the stability of the stereocomplex structures. For the low molecular weight samples, the stereocomplexes particles exhibited a conventional disk‐shape structure and, for high molecular weight samples, the particles displayed unusual star‐like shape morphology. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 49: 1397–1409, 2011     

用大分子引发剂法制备嵌段共聚物

主要介绍了用大分子引发剂法制备嵌段共聚物的方法。大分子引发剂是从已商品化的功能聚合物制得或用其它活性聚合方法合成。从单封端的端羟基聚合物、其它单官能团或双官能团聚合物以及双功能基团缩聚物制得大分子引发剂．然后用于原子转移自由基聚合(ATRP)、氮氧稳定自由基聚合以及可逆加成裂解链转移(RAFT)聚合等．可制得结构可控、分子量分布窄的嵌段共聚物。     

Microspheres from stereocomplexes of polylactides containing ionic liquid end‐groups

Low‐molecular‐weight polymers of L ‐ and D ‐lactide containing different end‐groups (hydroxy, butoxy, trifluoromethoxy, heptafluorobutoxy, oxyethylimidazole groups, and groups derived from the imidazolium ionic liquid) are synthesized. It is shown that the nature of end‐groups affects the stereocomplexation of corresponding pairs of polymers. Stereocomplex of poly(L ‐lactide) and poly(D ‐lactide) containing imidazolium ionic liquid end‐groups (PLA‐IL) precipitates from 1,4‐dioxane solution in the form of monodisperse, perfectly spherical microspheres. Such behavior of PLA‐IL, not observed for polymers containing other end‐groups, can be attributed to the presence of strongly interacting ionic liquid end‐groups. This conclusion is supported by the results of ¹H NMR and dynamic light scattering experiments as well as by direct observation of precipitated particles by scanning electron microscopy. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Facile synthesis of star‐shaped copolymers via combination of RAFT and ring opening polymerization

Reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and bifunctional sparteine/thiourea organocatalyst‐mediated ring opening polymerization (ROP) were combined to produce poly(L ‐lactide) star polymers and poly(L ‐lactide‐co‐styrene) miktoarm star copolymers architecture following a facile experimental procedure, and without the need for specialist equipment. RAFT was used to copolymerize ethyl acrylate (EA) and hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) into poly(EA‐co‐HEA) co‐oligomers of degree of polymerization 10 with 2, 3, and 4 units of HEA, which were in turn used as multifunctional initiators for the ROP of L ‐lactide, using a bifunctional thiourea organocatalytic system. Furthermore, taking advantage of the living nature of RAFT polymerization, the multifunctional initiators were chain extended with styrene (poly((EA‐co‐HEA)‐b‐styrene) copolymers), and used as initiators for the ROP of L ‐lactide, to yield miktoarm star copolymers. The ROP reactions were allowed to proceed to high conversions (>95%) with good control over molecular weights (ca. 28,000‐230,000 g/mol) and polymer structures being observed, although the molecular weight distributions are generally broader (1.3–1.9) than those normally observed for ROP reactions. The orthogonality of both polymerization techniques, coupled with the ubiquity of HEA, which is used as a monomer for RAFT polymerization and as an initiator for ROP, offer a versatile approach to star‐shaped copolymers. Furthermore, this approach offers a practical approach to the synthesis of polylactide star polymers without a glove box or stringent reaction conditions. The phase separation properties of the miktoarm star copolymers were demonstrated via thermal analyses. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 6396–6408, 2009     

Block Copolymerization of Lactide and an Epoxide Facilitated by a Redox Switchable Iron‐Based Catalyst

A cationic iron(III) complex was active for the polymerization of various epoxides, whereas the analogous neutral iron(II) complex was inactive. Cyclohexene oxide polymerization could be “switched off” upon in situ reduction of the iron(III) catalyst and “switched on” upon in situ oxidation, which is orthogonal to what was observed previously for lactide polymerization. Conducting copolymerization reactions in the presence of both monomers resulted in block copolymers whose identity can be controlled by the oxidation state of the catalyst: selective lactide polymerization was observed in the iron(II) oxidation state and selective epoxide polymerization was observed in the iron(III) oxidation state. Evidence for the formation of block copolymers was obtained from solubility differences, GPC, and DOSY‐NMR studies.     

Synthesis of high‐order multiblock core cross‐linked star polymers

Core cross‐linked star (CCS) polymers with radiating arms composed of high‐order multiblock copolymers have been synthesized in a one‐pot system via iterative copper‐mediated radical polymerization. The employed “arm‐first” technique ensures the multiblock sequence of the macroinitiator is carried through to the star structure with no arm defects. The versatility of this approach is demonstrated by the synthesis of three distinct star polymers with differing arm compositions, two with an alternating ABABAB block sequence and one with six different block units (i.e. ABCDEF). Owing to the star architecture, CCS polymers in which the arm composition consists of alternating hydrophilic–hydrophobic (ABABAB) segments undergo supramolecular self‐assembly in selective solvents, whereas linear polymers with the same block sequence did not yield self‐assembled structures, as evidenced by DLS analysis. The combination of microstructural and topological control in CCS polymers offers exciting possibilities for the development of tailor‐made nanoparticles with spatially defined regions of functionality. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 135–143     

Novel synthesis of biodegradable linear and star block copolymers based on ε‐caprolactone and lactides using potassium‐based catalyst

Biodegradable, triblock poly(lactide)‐block‐poly(ε‐caprolactone)‐block‐poly(lactide) (PLA‐b‐PCL‐b‐PLA) copolymers and 3‐star‐(PCL‐b‐PLA) block copolymers were synthesized by ring opening polymerization of lactides in the presence of poly(ε‐caprolactone) diol or 3‐star‐poly(ε‐caprolactone) triol as macroinitiator and potassium hexamethyldisilazide as a catalyst. Polymerizations were carried out in toluene at room temperature to yield monomodal polymers of controlled molecular weight. The chemical structure of the copolymers was investigated by ¹H and ¹³C‐NMR. The formation of block copolymers was confirmed by NMR and DSC investigations. The effects of copolymer composition and molecular structure on the physical properties were investigated by GPC and DSC. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 5363–5370, 2008     

Self-assembly of Amphiphilic Alternating Copolymers

Polymer self-assembly has been a hot research topic for several decades. Different types of polymers with various architectures, like block copolymers, brush polymers, hyperbranched polymers and dendrimers, etc., are currently being investigated. Alternating copolymers (ACPs) are regular copolymers with an alternating monomeric unit structure in the polymer backbones. However, despite the great progress in the synthesis of ACPs, their self-assembly is still in an infant stage. Very recently, our group reported a new type of amphiphilic ACPs through click copolymerization and obtained spheres, vesicles, nanotubes, and even hierarchical sea urchin-like aggregates through the self-assembly process. In addition, we have found some intriguing features in the self-assembly of amphiphilic ACPs when compared with other copolymers, including their facile syntheses, readily functionalization, novel self-assembly structures, new folding-chain mechanisms, and uniform but ultrathin feature length. In this Concept article, we present the self-assembly of amphiphilic ACPs together with their unique features by reviewing our latest results and related studies. Moreover, the future perspective on the self-assembly of amphiphilic ACPs is also proposed. Our aim is to capture the attention and interest of chemists in this new area of polymerization.     

Polyisobutylene based designed polymers

The field of cationic polymerization has moved center stage with the recent discovery of living polymerization that lead to the design of polymers with controlled molecular architecture. This report will provide a brief introduction of living cationic polymerization of isobutylene (IB) by tertiary ethers, and new cationic initiating systems based on peroxides and hydroperoxides. This paper will also briefly review some our recent work on the design of block copolymers via multi-mode polymerization (cationic–radical transformation) including the synthesis of star-blocks. The application of polyisobutylenes (PIBs) in the design of “beaded molecular strings,” a new class of molecular assembly will be discussed as well.     

Advances in the catalyses of polymerizations

Abstract

Nearly all technical processes for the production of polymers are carried out in the presence of catalysts. In the case of addition polymerization reactions, two mechanisms are possible: Start of the reaction via an initiator (e.g., peroxides) or start via a true catalyst (e.g., Ziegler/ Natta systems). In both areas remarkable progress has been made: Cationic “living” polymerizations of oxacycloalkanes, group transfer polymerization, metal-catalyzed alternating copolymerization of ethylene with carbon monoxide, and metallocene-catalyzed polymerizations of alpha-olefins. The polymerization of alpha-olefins with metallocene catalysts not only leads to the improvement of well-known polymers like polyethylene and polypropylene, but also enables the production of new polymers like syndiotactic polypropylene, syndiotactic polystyrene, and cycloolefin copolymers on an industrial scale.