Alkali and Alkaline Earth Metal Complexes as Versatile Catalysts for Ring‐Opening Polymerization of Cyclic Esters

Biodegradable polyesters such as poly(ϵ-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) have been considered for use in several areas, drug delivery devices, sutures, tissue engineering, GBR membranes, due to its bio-renewability, biodegradability, biocompatibility. Several synthetic techniques the preparation of reported literature, amongst which ring-opening polymerization (ROP) cyclic esters is most efficient. A convenient approach access iso-selective PLAs racemic lactide (rac-LA), shows excellent stereoregularity without need costly chiral auxiliaries or ligands. In this personal account, we review a series methods that practiced synthesis biodegradable from various monomers using alkali alkaline earth metal complexes efficient catalysts.