Summary: Poly(D ,L ‐lactide) with a molar mass of 105 g · mol−1 and a yield over 90% was produced in 10 min by the ring‐opening polymerization of D ,L ‐lactide under microwave irradiation with forward power of 255 W. A degradation of the poly(D ,L ‐lactide) was also induced by microwaves with a power level over 340 W. The molar mass of poly(D ,L ‐lactide) was dependent upon the competition between the polymerization of D ,L ‐lactide and the degradation of the resulting polymer.
Profiles of molar mass versus microwave irradiation time (1.8 g DLLA, 0.1% Sn(Oct)2).
