Zirconocene alkoxides and aryloxides for the polymerization of L- and rac-lactide

A family of well-defined cyclopentadienyl and indenyl group 4 complexes has been prepared. The complexes Cp2ZrCl(O-2,6-Me-C6H3) (1), Cp2Zr(O-2,6-Me-C6H3)2 (2), Cp2ZrMe(O-2,6-Me-C6H3) (3), (Ind)2ZrCl(O-2,6-Me-C6H3) (4), (Ind)2ZrMe(O-2,6-Me-C6H3) (5), (Ind)2ZrMe(OtBu) (6), and rac-(EBI)ZrCl(O-2,6-Me-C6H3) (7) were investigated as catalysts for the polymerization of L- and rac-lactide. (Ind)2ZrMe(OtBu) was shown to be the fastest catalyst. At 100 °C, the rates of polymerization (kobs) for L- and rac-lactide were very similar (0.317 and 0.293 h−1 respectively). However, at 80 °C it was found that polymerization of L-LA (kobs = 0.217 h−1) was twice as fast as rac-LA (kobs = 0.120 h−1).