An isopoly-molybdic acid coordination polymer and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. It relates to the field of catalysts for polylactic acid. A chemical formula of the isopoly-molybdic acid coordination polymer is [Mo.sub.2O.sub.4(μ.sub.2-OH).sub.2(Htrz)]. Htrz is a 1,2,4-triazole ligand, and (Mo.sub.2O.sub.4).sup.2+ is a binuclear isopoly-molybdic radical cation. (μ.sub.2-OH) is the bridging hydroxyl group. Sodium molybdate dihydrate and zinc nitrate hexahydrate undergo hydrothermal reaction in a closed condition to obtain an isopoly-molybdic acid coordination polymer that has a secondary layered structure. The synthesis of the isopoly-molybdic acid coordination polymer is simple with high yield and reproducibility. The isopoly-molybdic acid coordination polymer shows high catalytic activity towards the bulk ring-opening polymerization of lactide. The resulting polylactic acid has a weight average molecular weight exceeding 110,000. The polylactic acid has great potential in the fields of medical, degradable and packaging materials.

Methods for efficient preparation of drug-polymer (or oligomer) conjugates useful in the preparation of particles, including microparticles and nanoparticles, for delivery of the drug in vivo for therapeutic applications are provided. The invention also provides nanoparticles prepared by nanoprecipitation using drug-polymer/oligomer conjugates of the invention. The drug conjugates are formed during polymerization of the polymer or oligomer in which the drug is employed as an initiator of the polymerization of the monomers which form the polymer and/or oligomer. More specifically, the drug conjugates are formed by ring-opening polymerization of cyclic monomers in the presence of an appropriate ring-opening polymerization catalyst and the initiator (the drug). The method is particularly useful for formation of polymer/oligomer conjugates with drugs and other chemical species containing one or more hydroxyl groups or thiol groups.

The invention provides a process for preparing polyesters by reacting an H-functional starter substance with a lactone in the presence of a Brønsted-acidic catalyst which comprises initially charging the H-functional starter substance and the Brønsted-acidic catalyst to form a mixture i) and subsequently adding the lactone to the mixture i), wherein the process is carried out without adding an aromatic solvent and wherein the H-functional starter substance is an OH-functional starter substance and/or a COOH-functional starter substance and wherein the lactone is a 4-membered ring lactone. The invention further provides polyesters obtainable by the method of the invention.

The poly(ε-caprolactone)-ethoxylated fatty acid copolymers are block copolymers including ε-caprolactone units and ethoxylated fatty alcohol units, the block copolymer having the structural formula:

##STR00001##

where n and m are integers greater than 0 and R is an alkyl group. The block copolymer is prepared by polymerizing ε-caprolactone and an ethoxylated fatty alcohol in the presence of a catalyst, such as stannous octoate. The block copolymers have potential as delivery systems for various payloads, such as, but not limited to, lipid soluble drugs and diagnostic agents.

Provided are novel dinuclear indium catalysts of formula (A) that are capable of living and immortal ring opening polymerization and copolymerization of cyclic ester monomers for the preparation of biodegradable polymers and copolymers, in particular polyesters. Also disclosed are polymerization methods and polymer products. These dinuclear indium catalysts allow less costly, highly reactive living polymerization of cyclic ester monomers with possible high turn over rates and/or substantial stereo-chemical and microstructure control. ##STR00001##

In one aspect, the present invention encompasses integrated processes for the conversion of epoxides to acrylic acid derivatives and polyesters. In certain embodiments, the methods of the present invention comprise the steps of: providing a feedstock stream comprising an epoxide and carbon monoxide; contacting the feedstock stream with a metal carbonyl in a first reaction zone to effect conversion of at least a portion of the provided epoxide to a beta lactone; directing the effluent from the first reaction zone to a second reaction zone where the beta lactone is subjected to conditions that convert it to a compound selected from the group consisting of: an alpha beta unsaturated acid, an alpha beta unsaturated ester, an alpha beta unsaturated amide, and an optionally substituted polypropiolactone polymer; and isolating a final product comprising the alpha-beta unsaturated carboxylic acid, the alpha-beta unsaturated ester, the alpha-beta unsaturated amide or the polypropiolactone.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a copolymer from at least one cyclic monomer selected from: a lactone, a lactam, a carbonate, a lactide and a glycolide, an oxazoline, an epoxide, a cyclosiloxane, comprising the step consisting of reacting said cyclic monomer in the presence of a substituted phosphorus-containing compound. It also relates to the polymer composition obtained according to this method, as well as the uses thereof, notably as antistatic additives, biocompatible materials, as membranes for treatment of effluents or in electrochemical systems for energy storage.

The invention relates to a method for producing a polyoxyalkylene polyester polyol by reacting a polyoxyalkylene polyol with a lactone in the presence of a Brønsted acid catalyst, wherein the catalyst has a pKa value of 1 or less; the number-average molar mass of the polyoxyalkylene polyol is ≥1000 g/mol, preferably ≥1500 g/mol, particularly preferably ≥2000 g/mol; and in the lactone a CH2 group is bonded to the ring oxygen. The invention further relates to polyoxyalkylene polyester polyols obtainable using the method according to the invention, and to a method for producing polyurethanes by reacting the polyoxyalkylene polyester polyols according to the invention with polyisocyanates.

A new family of mononuclear organometallic complexes of a divalent metal bound to sequential tetradentate monoanionic {ONNN}-type ligands, and polymerization of cyclic esters such as lactides utilizing same are provided. Novel tetradentate monoanionic {ONNN}-type ligands usable for forming these complexes are also provided.

The present invention provides a multi-block copolymer comprising at least blocks A-B-A or B-A-B, wherein block A comprises a polyester formed by polymerisation of a lactone and/or a lactide; and block B comprises a copolyester formed by polymerisation of an epoxide and an anhydride, or a polycarbonate formed by polymerisation of an epoxide and carbon dioxide, and methods of production thereof.