Iso-Selective Ring-Opening Polymerization of rac-Lactide Catalyzed by Crown Ether Complexes of Sodium and Potassium Naphthalenolates

Two crown ether complexes of sodium and potassium naphthalenolates were synthesized and entirely characterized. The two complexes can iso-selectively catalyze the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of rac-lactide at room temperature and afford polylactides with desired molecular weights and narrow PDIs; the best isotacticity (Pm) achieved was 0.73.