Metal-Catalyzed Carbonylative Polymerizations of Cyclic Ethers

Significant research activities have occurred in the area of polymers. Challenges to control structures and properties have attracted polymer scientists to seek better synthetic strategies than existing ones. One of the challenges is to develop a synthetic strategy towards poly(4-hydroxybutyrate) or known as well as poly(γ-lactone) – a polymer known to be very difficult to achieve from ring opening of its lactone monomer. This book describes possible strategies to achieve such a polymer by metal catalysis. Instead of directly ring opening the lactone a synthetic strategy by carbonylative polymerization allows cyclic ethers to be converted into polymers with the same structures as ring opened-lactones.