Issue 31, 2024

Crafting sustainable solutions: architecting biodegradable copolymers through controlled ring-opening copolymerization

Abstract

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer with versatile applications in packaging and medicine. It is derived from lactic acid and thus represents an eco-friendly option sourced from renewable raw materials. Despite its advantages, PLA exhibits few drawbacks, such as brittleness and relatively high melting and glass transition temperatures. However, these limitations can be addressed through copolymerization with other monomers like ε-caprolactone (ε-CL), resulting in a composite material with improved physical properties. This paper comprehensively reviews achievements in PLA–PCL copolymerization using organometallic catalysts, discussing scientific findings and various copolymer architectures obtained, including random or block configurations. It also demonstrates various sustainable catalysts for achieving the required microstructure under mild reaction conditions without the aid of any external initiator.

Graphical abstract: Crafting sustainable solutions: architecting biodegradable copolymers through controlled ring-opening copolymerization

Article information

Article type
Frontier
Submitted
10 Сәу. 2024
Accepted
20 Мау. 2024
First published
21 Мау. 2024

Dalton Trans., 2024,53, 12837-12866

Crafting sustainable solutions: architecting biodegradable copolymers through controlled ring-opening copolymerization

S. Sagar, P. Nath, A. Ray, A. Sarkar and T. K. Panda, Dalton Trans., 2024, 53, 12837 DOI: 10.1039/D4DT01054J

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