Abstract
Polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) was promoted by the clusters of lithium isopropoxide containing lanthanoid(III) isopropoxides [La(O i-Pr)3 (1) and Ce(O i-Pr)3 (2)], prepared from the corresponding lanthanoid(III) chlorides according to the Kagan’s method. The initiators provided an isotactic poly(MMA) in a good yield, although lithium isopropoxide afforded no polymer in toluene at 0°C. While lithium isopropoxide also gave no polymer in tetrahydrofuran at 0°C, syndiotactic poly(MMA) was obtained even at −40°C using the cerium triisopropoxide (2) in 91% yield. The polymerization was confirmed to be initiated through Meerwein–Ponndorf–Verley (MPV) reduction.
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Habaue, S., Yoshikawa, M. & Okamoto, Y. Polymerization of Methacrylic Esters Using Metal Alkoxides Containing Lanthanoids. Polym J 27, 986–992 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1295/polymj.27.986
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1295/polymj.27.986
