Phenols and Tertiary Amines: An Amazingly Simple Hydrogen‐Bonding Organocatalytic System Promoting Ring Opening Polymerization

Abstract

Abstract A simple and easily available organocatalytic system was developed for the polymerization of lactide. In partnership with tertiary amines, phenol derivatives were demonstrated to be excellent single H‐bonding catalysts with high conversion within 24 h. In particular, ortho ‐, meta ‐ and meta,meta′ ‐trifluoromethylphenols revealed an amazing capacity for triggering the controlled ring opening polymerization (ROP) of lactide, through a fitted hydrogen‐bond with the monomer.