Chemo-enzymatic synthesis of comb polymers

The paper describes the synthesis and characterization of comb polymers by a two-step chemo-enzymatic process. In the first step macromonomers bearing unsaturation at the chain end were prepared by lipase catalyzed ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of ε-caprolactone (CL) and 1,5-dioxepane-2-one (DXO). The ROP was carried out in bulk at 60 °C under anhydrous conditions using 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) as the initiator. The DP of the macromonomers was controlled by regulating the monomer: HEMA molar feed concentration. The macromonomers were then homo- or co-polymerized in the second step with alkyl methacrylate monomers (methyl methacrylate or HEMA) using AIBN initiated free radical polymerization. Characterization of the polymers was done by ¹H NMR, SEC and DSC techniques.     

A computational insight into a metal mediated pathway for the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of lactides by an ionic {(NHC)2Ag}(+)X(-) (X = halide) type N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complex

A metal mediated coordination-insertion pathway for the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of L-lactide by an ionic {(NHC)(2)Ag}(+)X(-) (X = halide) type silver complex of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) has been investigated using the density functional theory (DFT) method. A clear insight into the lactide insertion process could be obtained by modeling two consecutive monomer addition steps with the first one mimicking chain initiation with the second representing a propagation step. In particular, in each of the cycles, the reaction initiates with the formation of a lactide coordinated species, [1+LL] and [2+LL] that transforms into a metal bound cyclic lactide intermediate, I([1+LL]→2) and I([2+LL]→3), which subsequently ring opens to give the lactide inserted products, 2 and 3. The estimated overall activation barrier for the initiation step is 42.0 kcal mol(-1) while the same for the propagation step is 31.5 kcal mol(-1). Studies on higher monomer insertions showed a decrease in the relative product energies as anticipated for an addition polymerization pathway.     

Phosphines: Nucleophilic organic catalysts for the controlled ring‐opening polymerization of lactides

A new metal‐free synthetic approach to the controlled ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of lactide with nucleophilic phosphines as transesterification catalysts is described. P(Bu)₃, PhPMe₂, Ph₂PMe, PPh₃, and related phosphines are commercially available, inexpensive catalysts that generate narrowly dispersed polylactides with predictable molecular weights. These organic catalysts must be used in combination with an initiator, such as an alcohol, to generate an alcoholate ester α‐end group upon ROP. A likely polymerization pathway is through a monomer‐activated mechanism, with minimal active species, facilitating narrow molecular weight distributions. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 844–851, 2002; DOI 10.1002/pola.10168     

Formation of eight-membered ring β-keto lactones via the intramolecular trapping of hydroxy acylketenes

Eight-membered ring β-keto lactones were prepared from 2,2,6-trimethyl-4H-1,3-dioxin-4-one in three steps involving conjugate addition to α,β-unsaturated aldehydes or ketones, followed by conversion to an alcohol and thermolysis. The formation of these eight-membered rings involves the intramolecular trapping of a hydroxy acyl ketene intermediate and is facilitated by a suppressed ring strain and an unfavorable intramolecular hydrogen bond, which is suggested to favor the formation of oligomers. These aspects of the reaction were supported by molecular mechanics calculations.     

Mechanism of alcohol oxidation by dipicolinate vanadium(V): unexpected role of pyridine

Dipicolinate vanadium(V) alkoxide complexes (dipic)V(V)(O)(OR) (OR = isopropoxide (1), n-butanoxide (2), cyclobutanoxide (3), and α-tert-butylbenzylalkoxide (4)) react with pyridine to afford vanadium(IV) and 0.5 equiv of an aldehyde or ketone product. The role of pyridine in the reaction has been investigated. Both NMR and X-ray crystallography experiments indicate that pyridine coordinates to 1, which is in equilibrium with (dipic)V(V)(O)(O(i)Pr)(pyr) (1-Pyr). Kinetic studies of the alcohol oxidation suggest a pathway where the rate-limiting step is bimolecular and involves attack of pyridine on the C-H bond of the isopropoxide ligand of 1 or 1-Pyr. The oxidations of mechanistic probes cyclobutanol and α-tert-butylbenzylalcohol support a two-electron pathway proceeding through a vanadium(III) intermediate. The alcohol oxidation reaction is promoted by more basic pyridines and facilitated by electron-withdrawing substituents on the dipicolinate ligand. The involvement of base in the elementary alcohol oxidation step observed for the dipicolinate system is an unprecedented mechanism for vanadium-mediated alcohol oxidation and suggests new ways to tune reactivity and selectivity of vanadium catalysts.     

Quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical study of three stationary points along the deacylation step of the catalytic mechanism of elastase

A large amount of experimental as well as theoretical information is available about the mechanism of serine proteases, but many questions remain unanswered. Here we study the deacylation step of the reaction mechanism of elastase. The water molecule in the acyl-enzyme active site, the binding mode of the carbonyl oxygen in the oxyanion hole, the characteristics of the tetrahedral intermediate structure, and the mobility of the imidazole ring of His-57 were studied with quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical methods. The models are based on a recent high-resolution crystal structure of the acyl-enzyme intermediate. The nucleophilic water in the active site of the acyl-enzyme has been shown to have two minima that differ by only 2 kcalmol⁻¹ in energy. The carbonyl group of the acyl-enzyme is located in the oxyanion hole and is positioned for attack by the hydrolytic water. The tetrahedral intermediate is a weakly bonded system, which is electrostatically stabilized by short hydrogen bonds to the backbone NH groups of Gly-193 and Ser-195 in the oxyanion hole. The short distance between the N^ɛ2 of His-57 and the O^γ of Ser-195 in the tetrahedral intermediate indicates a small movement of the imidazole ring towards the product in the deacylation step. The carbonyl group of the enzyme-product complex is not held strongly in the oxyanion hole, which shows that the peptide is first released from the oxyanion hole before it leaves the active site to regenerate the native state of the enzyme. Received: 11 September 2000 / Accepted: 15 September 2000 / Published online: 21 March 2001     

Mechanism of oligomerization reactions of silica

The mechanism of the oligomerization reaction of silica, the initial step of silica formation, has been studied by quantum chemical techniques. The solvent effect is included by using the COSMO model. The formation of various oligomers (from dimer to tetramer) was investigated. The calculations show that the anionic pathway is kinetically preferred over the neutral route. The first step in the anionic mechanism is the formation of the SiO-Si linkage between the reactants to form a five-coordinated silicon complex, which is an essential intermediate in the condensation reaction. The rate-limiting step is water removal leading to the oligomer product. The activation energies for dimer and trimer formation ( approximately 80 kJ/mol) are significantly higher than those of the subsequent oligermerization. The activation energies for the ring closure reaction ( approximately 100 kJ/mol) are even higher. The differences in activation energies can be related to the details in intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonding of the oligomeric complexes.     

Synthesis of Novel Glycidol Copolymers with Pendant Alkene and Hydroxyl Groups

A series of linear poly glycidol copolymers, tethering with both alkene and hydroxyl groups, were prepared by a combination of anionic ring-opening polymerization （ROP） using specific reactions of ethoxy ethyl glycidyl ether （EEGE） and allyl glycidyl ether （AGE） firstly, and subsequently removal of the protection group of glycidol in EEGE to achieve the linear copolymer pendant with both hydroxyl groups and double bonds. The EEGE/AGE monomer reactivity ratio is measured to be 3.30/1.13. The chemical compositions of the as-synthesized polymers were characterized by tH NMR and GPC, and the glass transition temperatures （Tg） of as-synthesized polymers were determined by DSC. The final copolymers have abundant double bonds and hydroxyl as side groups. Furthermore, the ratio of the double bonds to hydroxyl groups can be controlled by the ratio of the starting materials in a wide range.     

双金属氰化物络合物催化环氧烷烃开环聚合的特征

合成了Co Zn双金属氰化物 (DMC)络合物催化剂 ,以X 射线衍射、元素分析、红外光谱等手段进行了表征 ,考察了该催化体系下环氧丙烷开环聚合的反应特性 ,并初步探讨了聚合反应的机理 .研究发现 ,Co Zn双金属氰化物催化剂具有很高的催化活性 ,适合于中高分子量聚醚的合成 ,但是碱性起始剂起阻聚作用 ;在该催化体系下聚合物分子量可控 ,不饱和度很低 (<0 .0 14meq g) ,分批加料聚合所得到的聚合物分子量分布较窄 (Mn Mw <1.4 ) ,而一步加料聚合所得到的聚合物分子量分布变宽 ;1 3C NMR分析表明聚合物主链具有无规立构分布的特点 ,且链节分布几乎都为头 尾方式 .聚合过程中活性链与非活性链之间可能存在一个交换反应 ;虽然聚合反应有终止 ,但与聚合物链长没有关系 ,聚合物链的终止是可逆的 .     

Theoretical Calculations of β-Lactam Antibiotics. Part VI. AM1 calculations of alkaline hydrolysis of clavulanic acid

The gas-phase basic hydrolysis of clavulanic acid ( a ) was studied by using the AM1 semi-empirical method. The results obtained show that the hydroxyethylidene side chain at C(2) is pivotal to the stability of the different reaction products involved. The products with an open oxazolidine ring are more stable than those with a closed ring fused to the β-lactam ring. This behaviour differs from that of penicillins and cephalosporins where the most stable degradation products are those with an intact thiazolidine or dihydrothiazine ring, respectively, fused to the β-lactam ring. The different chemical reactivity of clavulanic acid relative to penicillins and cephalosporins could explain the disparate behaviour of the latter two types of compound towards β-lactamases. Once the acyl-enzyme intermediate of clavulanic acid has been formed, it can evolve with cleavage of the oxazolidine ring to form a difficult to deacylate compound.     

Monomer insertion mechanism of ring-opening polymerization of -caprolactone with yttrium alkoxide intermediate: A DFT study

The mechanism of -caprolactone (CL) insertion into a Y–OCH₃ bond was investigated using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The optimized geometries and corresponding Gibbs-free energies of the intermediates were obtained, which confirmed a four-step coordination-insertion mechanism. The coordination of CL onto yttrium center led to a nucleophilic addition of the carbonyl group of CL, followed by an intramolecular alkoxide ligand exchange. A monomer insertion was completed by the CL ring opening via acyl–oxygen bond cleavage. The formation of the five-coordinated yttrium intermediate, 3, was found to be the rate-determining step. This study could be applicable to ring-opening polymerisation (ROP) of CL initiated by lanthanide metal complexes.     

Mechanism of the condensation of homocysteine thiolactone with aldehydes

Chemical reactivity of homocysteine thiolactone (HTL) has been implicated in cardiovascular disease. Owing to its aminoacyl-thioester character, HTL undergoes facile electrophilic and nucleophilic reactions at its amino and activated-carboxyl group, respectively. To gain insight into the mechanism of the reactions involving its amino group, the kinetics of the condensation of homocysteine thiolactone with formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and pyridoxal phosphate, were analyzed in the pH range from 5 to 10. The reactions were first order with respect to HTL, aldehyde, and hydroxide ion concentrations. Of the two ionic species of HTL (pKa=6.67+/-0.05), the acid form HTL+ was approximately 100-fold more reactive than the base form HTL(0). The reactions of HTL with aldehydes involve intermediate adducts. The conversion of the intermediate carbinolamine to a product, 1,3-tetrahydrothiazine-4-carboxylic acid or its 2-substituted analogue, occurs in a two-step reaction. The first step involves hydrolysis of the thioester bond in the intermediate, facilitated by anchimeric assistance by the oxygen of the carbinolamine group of the intermediate. The second step involves an attack of the liberated thiolate on the aldehyde-derived carbon of the intermediate, affording 1,3-tetrahydrothiazine-4-carboxylic acid or its 2-substituted analogue. An unusual feature of these reactions is that the formation of the carbinolamine group increases the reactivity of the thioester bond of HTL approximately 10(4)-fold. The facile formation of tetrahydrothiazines may contribute to HTL elimination from the human body.     

Cyclic amine initiation of polypivalolactone

Certain monocyclic and polycyclic tertiary amines initiate polymerization of, and copolymerize with, pivalolactone. These comprise three-, four-, and five-membered monocyclic amines and 1-azapolycyclic amines. The polymerization proceeds in three steps: (a) initiation to form a cyclic amine/pivalate betaine, (b) propagation to yield a polylactone zwitterion by an anionic mechanism, and (c) interlinking by a carboxylate end attacking a cyclic amine end to incorporate amine as a comonomer in the chain. When polymerization is carried out at low temperatures, the more stable cyclic amine ring systems yield isolatable step b polymers. These polymeric zwitterions undergo step c by heating, even in the solid state. The mechanism suggests that, for the more labile cyclic amines, a lactone could be the initiator for polyamine formation by a cationic mechanism. Interlinking would lead to incorporation of lactone initiator. In intermediate cases, block copolymers would result. With a proper balance of reactivities, 1:1 alternating copolymers would be possible.     

First example of N-heterocyclic carbenes as catalysts for living polymerization: organocatalytic ring-opening polymerization of cyclic esters

A novel metal-free, organocatalytic approach to living polymerization is presented. N-heterocyclic carbenes were employed as nucleophilic catalysts for the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of cyclic ester monomers. The catalysts is used in combination with an initiator, such as an alcohol, which generates an alpha-end group bearing the ester from the initiating alcohol upon ring-opening and a hydroxyl functional omega-chain end that propagates the chain. This class of catalyst proved to be more reactive than tertiary amine and phosphine nucleophiles, producing narrowly dispersed polymers of predictable molecular weights at room temperature in 1-2 h. Catalysis with respect to both initiating alcohol and monomer was observed. Control of the alpha and omega end-groups was demonstrated with a pyrene-labeled initiator, allowing the preparation of well-defined macromolecular architectures. Analogous to the ROP of cyclic esters using biocatalysts, the polymeriztion pathway using the N-heterocyclic carbenes is believed to ensue through a monomer-activated mechanism.     

原位生成三苄氧基钇催化ε-己内酯可控开环聚合

本文研究了以烷基钇[Y(CH2SiMe3)3(THF)2]与苯甲醇原位反应生成的三苄氧基钇为引发剂的ε-己内酯(CL)可控开环聚合。研究结果表明,随着聚合体系中单体/引发剂摩尔比的增大,由1H-NMR计算和GPC测定得到的产物聚己内酯(PCL)的数均分子量均随之线性增加,且分子量分布(Mw/Mn =1.4～1.1)逐渐变窄;1H-NMR计算所得PCL的数均分子量与由单体/引发剂投料比计算得到的理论值一致,表明该体系催化的CL开环聚合具有很好的可控性。1H-NMR分析显示产物PCL的端基分别为苯甲醇酯和醇羟基,由此提出了可能的开环聚合机理。     

One‐step synthesis of block‐graft copolymers via simultaneous reversible‐addition fragmentation chain transfer and ring‐opening polymerization using a novel macroinitiator

One‐step synthesis of block‐graft copolymers by reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) and ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) by using a novel initiator was reported. Block‐graft copolymers were synthesized in one‐step by simultaneous RAFT polymerization of n‐butylmethacrylate (nBMA) and ROP of ε‐caprolacton (CL) in the presence of a novel macroinitiator (RAFT‐ROP agent). For this purpose, first epichlorohydrin (EPCH) was polymerized by using H₂SO₄ via cationic ring‐opening mechanism. And then a novel RAFT‐ROP agent was synthesized by the reaction of potassium ethyl xanthogenate and polyepichlorohydrin (poly‐EPCH). By using the RAFT‐ROP agent, poly[CL‐b‐EPCH‐b‐CL‐(g‐nBMA)] block‐graft copolymers were synthesized. The principal parameters such as monomer concentration, initiator concentration, and polymerization time that affect the one‐step polymerization reaction were evaluated. The block lengths of the block‐graft copolymers were calculated by using ¹H‐nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) spectrum. The block length could be adjusted by varying the monomer and initiator concentrations. The characterization of the products was achieved using ¹H NMR, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, gel‐permeation chromatography, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, elemental analysis, and fractional precipitation (γ) techniques. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 2651–2659     

Ring‐opening polymerization of ϵ‐caprolactone initiated with different ruthenium derivatives: Kinetics and mechanism studies

End‐functionalized polyesters have been synthesized by ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of ?‐caprolactone (CL) initiated with five different ruthenium derivatives in the presence of a series of alcohols as transfer agents. Mechanistic studies were performed for ROP of CL with RuCl₂(PPh₃)₃ ( I ), TpRuCl(PPh₃)₂ ( II ), and TpRuCl(PHPh₂)(PPh₃) ( III ) as catalysts in the presence or absence of benzyl alcohol (BzOH). Obtained molecular weights are proportional to CL/BzOH ratio, but there is not a direct relationship with CL/ruthenium complex ratios. ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy revealed the existence of benzyl ester end‐groups. Catalysis involves (a) dissociation of ruthenium complexes, (b) coordination of the lactone CL, (c) coordination of the BzOH with the formation of a metal alkoxide, (d) transfer from the alkoxyl ligand to the coordinated lactone, and (e) ring‐opening of CL by oxygen‐acyl bond cleavage. The proposed mechanism is supported by ¹H, ¹³C, and ³¹P NMR, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and MALDI‐TOF analysis of the polymers. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 6926–6942, 2006     

Neodymium‐based catalysts bearing phosphate ligands for ring‐opening polymerization of ɛ‐caprolactone

Neodymium‐based catalysts coordinated with phosphate ligands (NdCl₃·3L), where L = triethyl phosphate (TEP) or tris(2‐ethylhexyl) phosphate (TEHP), were synthesized. The ring‐opening polymerizations (ROP) of ɛ‐caprolactone (ɛ‐CL) with these catalysts in the presence of benzyl alcohol initiator were performed, yielding polymers with well‐defined molecular weights and relatively narrow polydispersity index (PDI = 1.22–1.65). In situ NMR analysis of the reaction between NdCl₃·3TEP and benzyl alcohol indicated that ROP proceeds through a coordination‐insertion mechanism. The end groups of the resultant polymers were determined using MALDI‐ToF mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. The quasi‐living nature of this catalytic system was demonstrated by kinetic studies and the successful synthesis of the block copolymer poly(ɛ‐caprolactone)‐block‐poly(l ‐lactide) by sequential monomer addition. Kinetic studies revealed that the catalyst with the bulkier TEHP ligand increased the rate of ROP of ɛ‐CL as compared to the TEP ligand. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018 , 56, 1289–1296     

"Lego" chemistry for the straightforward synthesis of dendrimers

A new straightforward method of synthesis of dendrimers, using two branched monomers (CA(2) and DB(2)), is described. Each generation is obtained in a single quantitative step, with only N(2) or H(2)O as byproducts; generation 4 is obtained in only four steps. The end groups are alternatively phosphines and hydrazines; their versatile reactivity is illustrated by the reaction of generation 4 with a branched CD(5) monomer, which increases the number of end groups in a single step from 48 to 250.     

Exploration of tertiary aminosquaramide bifunctional organocatalyst in controlled/living ring‐opening polymerization of l‐lactide

A series of tertiary aminosquaramides as bifunctional organocatalysts in the ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of l ‐lactide (l ‐LA) were developed, allowing the activation of both the l ‐LA monomer and the alcohol group of the initiator/propagating species. Further, the impact of tertiary nitrogen substituents on catalytic activity in ROP of l ‐LA was explored. The tertiary aminosquaramide— an air‐stable and moisture‐stable catalyst—exhibited superior activity in contest with thiourea counterpart when both were equipped with a similar tertiary amine group. Kinetic and chain‐extension experiments indicated that the formed poly(l ‐LA) is featured with narrow polydispersity and high end‐group fidelity, hallmarks of a living polymerization process. The initiator efficiency was further executed at ease by preparation of an ABA triblock copolymer poly (l ‐LA)‐b‐poly (ethylene glycol)‐b‐poly (l ‐LA) in the presence of a dual‐headed PEG macroinitiator. ¹H NMR titration experiments suggested a bifunctional catalytic mechanism, wherein both the l ‐LA monomer and the propagating hydroxyl group were activated en route to polymerization. The ¹H NMR, SEC, and MALDI‐TOF MS measurements validated the quantitative incorporation of the initiator in the polymeric chains and enchainment over competitive trans‐esterification reaction. Overall, the structure‐activity relationships were surveyed to uncover aminosquaramide as a new bifunctional dual hydrogen‐bond donor catalyst for living ROP of l ‐LA. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 2483–2493