Metal-free living cationic ring-opening polymerization of cyclic esters using selenonium salts as Lewis acids

Abstract

Selenonium salts were employed as a new class of metal-free Lewis acid catalysts for the cationic ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of various cyclic esters. Polyesters with controlled molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions (MWDs) were obtained by using alchohol as the initiator. Moreover, successful in situ chain extension demonstrated an excellent living polymerization system, expanding the toolbox for metal-free ROP.