Surprising Activity of Organoactinide Complexes in the Polymerization of Cyclic Mono- and Diesters

Abstract

The use of the neutral organoactinide complexes Cp*2AnMe2 (An = Th, U) and the cationic complex [(Et2N)3U][BPh4] for the ROMP of ε-caprolactone and l-lactide is presented. Despite their high oxophilic nature, these complexes show high activity for polymerization, yielding high-molecular-weight polymers with a low molecular weight distribution. In several cases the polymerization proceeds in a living fashion.