l-Lactide polymerization catalysed by tin(ii) 2-ethyl-hexanoate. A deeper look at chain transfer reactions†
Abstract
The mechanism of segmental exchange in the polymerization of L-lactide catalysed by tin(II) 2-ethylhexanoate/alcohol system was studied as a model system. It was shown by analysis of MALDI-TOF spectra and modelling by Monte Carlo that the carbonyl group closest to the tin atom is at least 100 times more reactive than other carbonyl groups along the chain.