Preparation and Characterization of Aluminum Alkoxides and their Application to Ring‐Opening Polymerization of ϵ‐Caprolactones

The reaction of 2‐methoxybenzyl alcohol with one molar equiv of R₂AIX in diethyl ether at 0°C gives (2‐MeOC₆H₄CH₂‐μ‐O)AlRX]₂ ( 1 : R = Et, X = Cl, 2 : R = X = Et). In addition, 2,4‐di‐tert‐butylphenol reacts with ⁱBu₃Al affording a four‐coordinated aluminum compound (μ‐2,4‐^tBu₂‐C₆H₄O)Al(ⁱBu)₂]₂ ( 4 ). Single crystal X‐ray structure analysis of 4 shows a C_2h‐symmetry with a planar Al₂O₂ core. Ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of caprolactones initiated by 1, 4 and (μ‐OCH₂C₆H₄OMe)Al(ⁱBu)₂]₂ ( 3 ) is performed and polyesters with narrow molecular weight distributions were obtained from the “living” ROP of caprolactones. ¹H NMR spectroscopic studies of PCL reveal that the initiator of 1 and 3 is through the Al‐OAr function, but the initiator of 4 is through the Al‐ ⁱBu group.