Imino phenoxide complexes of niobium and tantalum as catalysts for the polymerization of lactides, ε-caprolactone and ethylene.

Imino phenoxide complexes of Nb and Ta show precise control towards the solvent free ring-opening polymerization of lactides (LA) and ε-caprolactone (CL). There is a close proximity between the observed number average molecular weight (M(n)) and theoretical molecular weight and the molecular weight distributions (MWDs) were found to be narrow. Analysis of low molecular weight oligomers of LA synthesized from these compounds revealed that the ligand is incorporated as one of the end terminal groups in the polymer chain. In addition, these complexes were realized to be precatalysts for the polymerization of ethylene.