The present invention relates to the technical field of the production of polylactic acid, and in particular to a production method for preparing polylactic acid by means of a ring-opening polymerization method, and a prepolymer mixture and the polylactic acid. The production method comprises: (1) enabling an initiator, a catalyst and a monomer I to be in contact in a production device to undergo a ring-opening polymerization reaction, so as to generate a prepolymer mixture containing a polylactic acid prepolymer; and (2) enabling the prepolymer mixture and a monomer II to be in contact with one another to undergo a reaction, so as to generate a high molecular weight polylactic acid. The monomer I and the monomer II are the same or are different, and each independently comprises lactide. The production method provided by the present invention can reduce the fluctuation in the feeding quality of the initiator and the catalyst, and can improve the production stability during the production process.

An organic frame material having isopoly-molybdic acid metal for manufacturing polylactic acid and method of manufacturing the same is provided. The chemical formula of the organic frame material having isopoly-molybdic acid metal is [Cu(tfbtb).sub.0.5(β-Mo.sub.8O.sub.26)0.5(H.sub.2O)]. tfbtb is a 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-bis (1,2,4-triazole-1-methyl) benzene ligand, and [β-Mo.sub.8O.sub.26] is a β type octamolybdate anion. Sodium molybdate dihydrate, copper salt and organic ligand 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-bis (1,2,4-triazole-1-methyl) benzene undergo hydrothermal reaction in a closed condition to form the organic frame material having copper containing isopoly-molybdic acid metal that has a three-dimensional structure. The synthesis method is simple with high yield and reproducibility. The organic frame material having isopoly-molybdic acid metal shows high catalytic activity towards the ring-opening polymerization of lactide. The resulting polylactic acid has a weight average molecular weight exceeding 60,000. The polylactic acid has great potential in the fields of packaging materials and medical high polymer materials.

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.

The present invention relates to a process for preparing a polyester-polyether polyol block copolymer by reaction of an H-functional starter substance with lactone in the presence of a catalyst to afford a polyester followed by reaction of the polyester from step i) with alkylene oxides in the presence of a catalyst (B), wherein the lactone is a 4-membered lactone. The invention further relates to the polyester-polyether polyol block copolymer obtainable by the present process.

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.

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.