Zn(HMDS)₂ as a Versatile Transesterification Catalyst for Polyesters Synthesis and Degradation toward a Circular Materials Economy Approach

Abstract

Zn(HMDS)2 as a simple, biocompatible, efficient, and supporting ligand-free metal catalyst has been achieved for polyesters synthesis and degradation. The catalyst not only has a powerful capacity for ring-opening polymerization of various lactones to obtain diverse sustainable polyesters, such as poly(lactide), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), and poly(caprolactone), etc., with controlled molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions, but also can be used to degrade polyesters into valuable depolymerization products with excellent yields and chemoselectivity, demonstrating a truly circular materials economy approach to sustainability.