Tripartite hydrogen-bonding as a driving force for high-concentration cyclization of poly( <scp>l</scp> -lactide)
A three-step strategy enables efficient cyclization of high-<i>M</i> <sub>n</sub> PLLA at 0.5 M. Key to success is a persistent tripartite complex driven by hydrogen bonding and ion pairing. Selective intramolecular transesterification at a benzylic ester triggers ring closure, affording cyclic PLLA (<i>M</i> <sub>n</sub> ≈ 26 000 g mol<sup>-1</sup>) under synthetically practical conditions. SPM imaging reveals nanorings with diameters consistent with the expected contour length of cyclic PLLA chains.
Authors
- Céline Henoumont (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3280-2441)
- Philippe Leclère (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5490-0608)
- Sébastien Moins
- Alexandre Mignot
- Sophie Laurent
- Olivier Coulembier
Institutions
- University of Mons (BE)
- Nanomaterials Research (United States) (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Chemical Science
- Published
- 2025-12-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1039/d5sc08070c
- Primary Topic
- biodegradable polymer synthesis and properties
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- AXA Research Fund
- Fonds De La Recherche Scientifique - FNRS