TY - JOUR A1 - Weidner, Steffen A1 - Meyer, Andreas A1 - Falkenhagen, Jana A1 - Kricheldorf, Hans R. T1 - Cyclic polyglycolide by means of metal acetylacetonates N2 - Glycolide was polymerized in bulk at 160 °C using various metal acetylacetonates as catalysts. Zirconium acetylacetonate was particularly efficient, enabling rapid polymerization even at 130 °C. The formation of cyclic poly(glycolic acid) (PGA), most likely via a ring-expansion polymerization (REP) mechanism, was proven by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. Depending on the polymerization conditions, the formation of even-numbered cycles was favored to varying degrees. Number-average molecular weights (Mn) in the range of 2000–3500 g mol−1 were achieved with dispersities below 2.0. Wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) powder patterns showed that the crystal lattice was the same as that of known linear PGAs, regardless of the Mn values. These patterns enabled a comparison of crystallinities with values derived from DSC measurements. KW - MALDI-TOF MS KW - Polyglycolide KW - Crystallization KW - Small-angle X-ray scattering KW - Cyclization PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-653731 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d5ra07961f SN - 2046-2069 VL - 16 IS - 2 SP - 1757 EP - 1764 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) AN - OPUS4-65373 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kricheldorf, H. A1 - Weidner, Steffen A1 - Meyer, A. T1 - About alcohol-initiated polymerization of glycolide and separate crystallization of cyclic and linear polyglycolides N2 - Alcohol-initiated polymerizations of glycolide (GL) catalyzed by tin(II) 2-ethylhexanoate (SnOct2) were carried out in bulk with variation of GA/In ratio, temperature and time. Due to a rather strong competition of cyclization polyglycolide (PGA) free of cycles were never obtained. When the cyclic catalysts 2,2-dibutal-2-stanna − 1,3-dithiolane (DSTL) or 2-stanna 1,3-dioxo-4,5,6,7 bibenzepane (SnBiph) were used in combination with 1,4-butanediol the influence of cyclization was even stronger. Furthermore, the degrees of polymerization were higher than the GA/alcohol ratio due to rapid polycondensation in the solid state. At 160 °C or below, the matrixassisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectra indicated separate crystallization of low molar mass cyclic and linear PGAs from the same reaction mixture (also observed for poly(L-lactide)s). KW - MALDI TOF MS KW - Polyglycolide KW - Ring opening polymerization KW - Cyclization KW - Crystallization PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-607282 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2024.127440 SN - 0032-3861 VL - 309 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-60728 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kricheldorf, H. A1 - Weidner, Steffen A1 - Meyer, A. T1 - Syntheses of Polyglycolide via Polycondensation: A Reinvestigation N2 - The Na salt of chloroacetic acid is condensed in suspension. Furthermore,glycolic acid is condensed in bulk or in concentrated solution by means of SnCl2 or 4-toluene sulfonic acid (TSA) as catalysts. The temperatures are varied from 160 to 200°C and the time from 1 to 5 days. Low molar mass cyclic poly(glycolic acid) (PGA) is detected by means of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI TOF) mass spectrometry in most PGAs. A predominance of certain cycles having an even number of repeat units is observed suggesting a thermodynamically favored formation of extended-ring crystals. Extremely high melting temperatures (up to 237.5°C)and high melting enthalpies are found for polycondensations with TSA in 1,2-dichlorobenzene. KW - MALDI TOF MS KW - Polycondensation KW - Polyglycolide KW - Cyclization PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-596856 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/macp.202300397 IS - 2300397 SP - 1 EP - 7 PB - Wiley VHC-Verlag AN - OPUS4-59685 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Weidner, Steffen A1 - Scheliga, Felix A1 - Kricheldorf, Hans R. T1 - Polycondensation, Cyclization and Disproportionation of Solid Poly(L-lactide) Trifluoroethyl Esters and the Simultaneous Formation of Extended Chain Crystals and Extended Ring Crystals N2 - Two poly(L-lactide)s (PLAs) with a degree of polymerization (DP) of 20 or 100 were prepared by trifluoroethanol-initiated ring-opening polymerization (ROP) catalyzed by tin(II) 2-ethyl hexanoate (SnOct2). These PLAs were annealed at 140 ◦C or at 160 ◦C in the presence of SnOct2, and the changes in topology and molecular weight distribution (MWD) were monitored by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of flight (MALDI TOF) mass spectrometry and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). For the PLA with a DP 20, the main reaction was polycondensation combined with higher dispersities. In the case of the DP 100, PLA polycondensation was combined with disproportionation and the formation of a new MWD maximum around m/z 3500. In addition, extensive cyclization occurred, and the resulting cyclic PLAs crystallized separately from the linear chains in the form of extended ring crystals. These results also suggest that both extended chain and extended ring crystals posses the same crystal thickness as a result of thermodynamically controlled transesterification in the solid state. KW - Polycondensation KW - MALDI KW - Polylactide KW - Cyclization PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-616441 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2024.127800 VL - 315 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-61644 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kricheldorf, H. R. A1 - Weidner, Steffen A1 - Scheliga, F. T1 - Ring-opening polymerizations of L-Lactide catalyzed by zinc caprylate: Syntheses of cyclic and linear poly(L-lactide)s N2 - Alcohol-initiated ring-opening polymerizations (ROPs) of L-Lactide (LA) were conducted in bulk at 130 °C catalyzed by Zn acetate (ZnAc2), lactate (ZnLac2), or caprylate (ZnCap2). 11-undecenol (UND), 1-hydroxymethylnaphtalene (HMN), and 4-nitrobenzylalcohol (4NB) were used as alcohols. Whereas variation of the alcohols had little effect, the usefulness of the catalysts increased in the order: acetate < lactate < caprylate. Hence, further alcohol-initiated polymerizations were performed with ZnCap2 alone and with variation of the lactide/catalyst (LA/Cat) ratio. With increasing LA/Cat ratio higher fractions of cyclic poly(L-lactide) (PLA) were found, so that the measured degree of polymerization (DP) is considerably lower than the theoretical value (i.e., 2 x LA/alcohol). With neat ZnCap2 cyclic PLAs were the largely prevailing reaction products. For these cyclic PLAs weight average molar masses (Mw) up to 134,000 were obtained and an optical purity around 99% was indicated by 13C NMR spectroscopy and DSC measurements even after 48 h at 150 or 160 °C. KW - Cyclization KW - Lactide KW - Ring opening polymerization KW - Transesterification KW - Zinc catalyst KW - MALDI PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-557565 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/pol.20220328 SN - 2642-4150 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Wiley AN - OPUS4-55756 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kricheldorf, H. R. A1 - Weidner, Steffen A1 - Scheliga, F. T1 - SnOct2-catalyzed and alcohol-initiated ROPS of L-lactide - Control of the molecular weight and the role of cyclization N2 - Ring-opening polymerizations (ROP) of l-lactide (LA) are conducted in bulk at 130, 160, or 180 °C and are initiated with two different alcohols at 160 °C. The lactide/initiator ratio (LA/In) is varied from 50/1 (20/1 at 180 °C) to 900/1 and the lactide/catalyst ratio (LA/Cat) between 2000/1 and 8000/1. At all temperatures a nearly perfect control of number average molecular weight (Mn) via the LA/In ratio is feasible up to LA/In = 200/1, but at higher ratios the Mn value lags behind the theoretical values and the discrepancy increases with higher LA/Cat ratios. Variation of the LA/Cat ratio influences the formation of cycles but does not significantly influence Mn, when the LA/In ratio is kept constant. The formation of cycles is favored by lower In/Cat ratios and is the main reason for the unsatisfactory control of Mn at high LA/In ratios. The results also suggest that the cycles are mainly or exclusively formed by end-to-end cyclization and not, as believed previously, by back-biting. KW - Polylactide KW - MALDI-TOF MS KW - Cyclization KW - Ring-opening polymerization PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-543066 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/macp.202100464 SN - 1521-3935 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim AN - OPUS4-54306 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kricheldorf, H. R. A1 - Weidner, Steffen T1 - High molar mass cyclic poly(L-lactide)s by means of neat tin (II) 2-ethylhexanoate N2 - L-lactide was polymerized in bulk at 120, 140, 160 and 180°C with neat tin(II) 2-ethylhexanoate (SnOct2) as catalyst. At 180°C the Lac/Cat ratio was varied from 25/1 up to 8 000/1 and at 160°C from 25/1 up to 6 000/1. The vast majority of the resulting polylactides consist of cycles in combination with a small fraction of linear chains having one octanoate and one COOH end group. The linear chains almost vanished at high Lac/Cat ratios, as evidenced by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and measurements of intrinsic viscosities and dn/dc values. At Lac/Cat ratios <1000/1 the number average molar masses (Mn) are far higher than expected for stoichiometic initiation, and above 400/1 the molar masses vary relatively little with the Lac/Cat ratio. At 180° slight discoloration even at short times and degradation of the molar masses were observed, but at 160°C or below colorless products with weight average molar masses (Mw) up to 310 000 g mol-1 were obtained. The formation of high molar mass cyclic polylactides is explained by a ROPPOC (Ring-Opening Polymerizatiom with simultaneous Polycondensation) mechanism with intermediate formation of linear chains having one Sn-O-CH end group and one mixed anhydride end group. Additional experiments with tin(II)acetate as catalyst confirm this interpretation. These findings together with the detection of several transesterification mechanisms confirm previous critique of the Jacobson-Stockmayer theory. KW - Polylactide KW - MALDI-TOF MS KW - Cyclization PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d0py00811g VL - 11 IS - 32 SP - 5249 EP - 5260 PB - Royal Society for Chemistry AN - OPUS4-51130 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kricheldorf, H. R. A1 - Weidner, Steffen A1 - Scheliga, F. T1 - Synthesis of cyclic polymers and flaws of the Jacobson–Stockmayer theory N2 - Cyclic poly(L-lactide)s were prepared by ring-opening polymerization combined with simultaneous polycondensation (ROPPOC) in bulk at 160 ° with dibutyltin bis(4-cyanophenoxide) as catalyst. It is demonstrated by MALDI TOF mass spectrometry and 1H NMR end group analyses that cycles are formed by endto-end cyclization in addition to “back-biting” transesterification. Formation of high molar mass cyclic poly L-lactide)s by means of several more reactive ROPPOC catalysts presented previously and in new experiments is discussed. These experimental results, together with theoretical arguments, prove that part of the Jacobson–Stockmayer theory is wrong. The critical monomer concentration, above which end-toend cyclization is seemingly impossible, does not exist and reversible like irreversible polycondensations can theoretically proceed up to 100% conversion, so that finally all reaction products will necessarily adopt a cyclic architecture. KW - Polylactide KW - MALDI-TOF MS KW - Cyclization PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-506419 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d0py00226g VL - 11 IS - 14 SP - 2595 EP - 2604 PB - Royal Society for Chemistry AN - OPUS4-50641 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Weidner, Steffen A1 - Meyer, A. A1 - Kricheldorf, H. R. T1 - Ring–Ring Equilibration in Solid, Even-Numbered Cyclic Poly(l-lactide)s and their Stereocomplexes N2 - Even-numbered cyclic poly(d-lactide) and poly(l-lactide) are prepared by ringexpansion polymerization. The cyclic pol(l-lactide) is annealed either at 120 or at 160 °C for several days. The progress of transesterification in the solid state is monitored by the formation of odd-numbered cycles via matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. The changes of the crystallinity are monitored by differential scanning calorimetry, wideand small-angle x-ray scattering (WAXS and SAXS) measurements. Despite total even-odd equilibration at 160 °C, the crystallinity of poly(l-lactide) is not reduced. Furthermore, the crystallinity of the stereocomplexes of both cyclic polylactides do not decrease or vanish, as expected, when a blocky or random stereosequence is formed by transesterification. This conclusion is confirmed by 13C NMR spectroscopy. These measurements demonstrate that transesterification is a ring–ring equilibration involving the loops on the surfaces of the lamellar crystallites thereby improving crystallinity and 3D packing of crystallites without significant broadening of the molecular weight distribution. KW - Polylactide KW - MALDI-TOF MS KW - Cyclization PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-506458 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/macp.202000012 VL - 221 IS - 9 SP - 2000012 PB - Wiley-VCH Verlag AN - OPUS4-50645 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kricheldorf, H. A1 - Weidner, Steffen T1 - SnOct 2-Catalyzed Syntheses of Cyclic Poly (l-lactide) s with Catechol as Low-Toxic Co-catalyst N2 - Polymerizations of l-lactide in bulk at 160 or 180 °C were performed with 1/1 mixtures of catechol (CA) or 4-tert-butylcatechol (BuCA) and tin(II)-2-ethylhexanoate (SnOct2) as catalysts and a variation of the Lac/Cat ratio. Weight average molar masses (Mw) up to 170,000 g mol−1 were obtained with CA and up to 120,000 g mol−1 with BuCA. The cyclic structure of the resulting poly(l-lactide)s was proven by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and by comparison of their hydrodynamic volumes with those of commercial linear poly(l-lactide)s. The predominance of even-numbered cycles increased with lower temperatures and shorter polymerization times. This fnding indicates that the cyclic architecture is the results of a ring-expansion polymerization mechanism. Addition of silylated BuCA as co-catalyst was less favorable than addition of free BuCA. KW - Polylactide KW - MALDI-TOF MS KW - Cyclization KW - Catalyst KW - Catechol KW - Toxicity PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-019-01545-5 SP - 10924 PB - Springer AN - OPUS4-49210 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kricheldorf, Hans A1 - Weidner, Steffen T1 - About the influence of salicylic acid on tin(II)octanoate-catalyzed ring opening polymerizationof L-lactide N2 - L-Lactide was polymerized in bulk with tin(II)2-ethylhexanoate SnOct2) as catalyst and salicylic acid as cocatalyst. The Lac/Cat ratio, Cocat/Cat ratio, temperature and time were varied. Increasing Cocat/Cat ratios reduced both,polymerization rate and molecular weight. However,under optimized conditions high molar mass (Mw up to 178,000), colorless, cyclic polylactides were formed in a short time. A few polymerizations performed at 160 and 180°C with the combination of SnOct2 and silylated salicylic acid gave similar results. Neat tin II) salicylate was prepared from SnOct2 and used for REPs of L-lactide in bulk, but the results were not better than those obtained from combinations of SnOct2 and salicylic acid. Furthermore, dibutyltin salicylate was synthesized and used as catalyst for polymerizations of L-lactide in bulk at temperatures varying from 102 to 160°C. Cyclic polylactides with Mw’s up to 40,000 were the main reaction products. At 100–102°C a predominance of odd-numbered cycles was found proving a REP mechanism. KW - Polylactide KW - MALDI-TOF MS KW - Cyclization KW - Catalyst KW - Ring-opening polymerization PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2019.07.003 VL - 119 SP - 37 EP - 44 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-49211 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kricheldorf, Hans A1 - Weidner, Steffen A1 - Scheliga, Felix T1 - Ring-Expansion Polymerization (REP) of L-lactide with cyclic Tin(II) Bisphenoxides N2 - Five new cyclic catalysts were prepared by a new synthetic method from tin(II)-2-ethyhexanoate and silylated catechols, silylated 2,2´dihydroxybiphenyl or silylated 1,1´-bisnaphthol. These catalysts were compared with regard to their usefulness as catalysts for the ring expansion polymerization (REP) of L-lactide in bulk at 160 °C, and with two different tin(IV) derivatives of 1,1´binaphthol. Best results were obtained using seven-membered cyclic tin(II)bisphenoxides, which yielded colorless cyclic poly(l-lactide)s free of racemization with weight average molecular weights (Mw) up to 305 000 g mol-1. Furthermore, these catalysts were active even at a lactide/catalyst ratio of 20 000/1. Our new results were superior to those obtained from all other previously published catalysts yielding cyclic poly(L-lactide). The seven-membered cycles also proved to be more active than tin(II) 2-ethylhexanoate with and without the addition of alcohol. KW - Lactide KW - Cyclization KW - Ring-expansion polymerization KW - Tin(II)octanoate KW - MALDI-TOF MS PY - 2019 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2019.04.024 SN - 0014-3057 SN - 1873-1945 VL - 116 SP - 256 EP - 264 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-47794 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kricheldorf, H. A1 - Weidner, Steffen A1 - Scheliga, F. T1 - Cyclic poly(lactide)s via the ROPPOC method catalyzed by alkyl- or aryltin chlorides N2 - A comparison of tributyltin chloride, dibutyltin dichloride,and butyltin trichloride as catalysts of ring-opening polymerizations(ROPs) of l-lactides at 160°C in bulk reveals increasing reactivity in the above order, but only the least reactive catalysts, Bu3SnCl, yield a uniform reaction product, namely cyclic poly(L-lactide)s with weight average molecular weights (Mw ́s) in the range of 40,000–80,000. A comparison of dimethyltin , dibutyltin , and diphenyltin dichlorides resulted in the following order of reactivity: Me2SnCl2120 °C, but different results at 100 or 80 °C. Surprisingly, bell-shaped narrow molecular weight distributions are obtained <140 °C, resembling the pattern of living polymerizations found for alcohol-initiated polymerizations. An unusual transesterification mechanism yielding narrow distributions of odd-numbered cycles is discovered too. KW - Cyclization KW - Polylactides KW - MALDI-TOF MS KW - Ring-opening polymerization KW - Spirocyclic PY - 2018 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/pola.29259 SN - 0887-624X SN - 1099-0518 VL - 56 IS - 24 SP - 2730 EP - 2738 PB - Wiley Periodicals AN - OPUS4-46498 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Weidner, Steffen A1 - Kricheldorf, H. T1 - Transesterification in alcohol-initiated ROPs of l- and meso-lactide catalyzed by Sn(II) and Sn(IV) compounds at low temperatures N2 - The purpose of this study is to shed more light on the transesterification processes in alcohol-initiated and tin(II) 2-ethylhexanoate (SnOct2)-catalyzed polymerizations of lactides at low or moderate temperatures. Ethanol-initiated polymerizations are conducted in concentrated solutions at 80 °C and a strong dependence of even/odd equilibration on the alcohol/Sn ratio. Around or above 120 °C cyclization of poly(l-lactide) via “backbiting” occurs as a third mechanism. However, poly(m-lactide) shows a higher cyclization tendency and yields cyclics even at 100 °C. Combinations of ethanol and certain cyclic dibutyltin(IV) catalysts also yield cyclic oligomers of l-lactide at 80 °C. Reaction conditions allowing for a total suppression of all transesterification reactions are not found, but even-numbered poly(m-lactide)s with a purity >95% are obtained at 70 or 60 °C. KW - Cyclization KW - MALDI-TOF MS KW - Polyester KW - Polylactide KW - Transesterification PY - 2018 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/macp.201800445 SN - 1022-1352 SN - 1521-3935 VL - 219 IS - 24 SP - 1800445, 1 EP - 10 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim AN - OPUS4-46705 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Weidner, Steffen A1 - Kricheldorf, H.R. A1 - Scheliga, F. T1 - Cyclization and dispersity of poly(alkylene isophthalate)s N2 - Poly(alkylene isophthalate)s were prepared by different methods, either in solution or in bulk. The SEC measurements were evaluated in such a way that all oligomers were included. In solution (monomer conc. 0.1–0.7 mol/L) large fractions of rings were formed and high dispersities (up to 12) were obtained, which disagree with theoretical predictions. Polycondensations in bulk did neither generate cyclics by 'back-biting' nor by end-to-end cyclization, when the maximum temperature was limited to 210 °C. The dispersities of these perfectly linear polyesters were again higher than the theoretical values. Regardless of the synthetic method monomeric cycles were never observed. Furthermore, SEC measurements performed in tetrahydrofuran and in chloroform and SEC measurements performed in three different institutes were compared. Finally, SEC measurements of five samples were performed with universal calibration and a correction factor of 0.71 ± 0.02 was found for normal calibration with polystyrene. KW - Cyclization KW - Polycondensation KW - Polyesters KW - Size exclusion chromatography KW - Cyclics KW - Dispersity KW - SEC KW - Universal calibration KW - MALDI mass spectrometry PY - 2016 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/pola.27892 SN - 0360-6376 SN - 0887-624X VL - 54 IS - 1 SP - 197 EP - 208 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken, NJ AN - OPUS4-33731 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -