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Cationic-anionic synchronous ring-opening polymerization

Author

Listed:
  • Wenli Wang

    (Tongji University
    4800 Caoan Road)

  • Xue Liang

    (4800 Caoan Road)

  • Hengxu Liu

    (4800 Caoan Road)

  • Jiamin Zhang

    (4800 Caoan Road)

  • Yuanzu Zhang

    (4800 Caoan Road)

  • Beibei Zhang

    (4800 Caoan Road)

  • Jianhua Li

    (4800 Caoan Road)

  • Yunqing Zhu

    (4800 Caoan Road)

  • Jianzhong Du

    (Tongji University
    4800 Caoan Road
    East China University of Science and Technology)

Abstract

Chemical reactions with incompatible mechanisms (such as nucleophilic reactions and electrophilic reactions, cationic polymerization and anionic polymerization) are usually difficult to perform simultaneously in one-pot. In particular, synchronous cationic-anionic polymerization has been an important challenge in the field of polymer synthesis due to possible coupling termination of both chain ends. We recently found that such terminal couplings can be significantly inhibited by a bismuth salt with a strong nucleophilic anion (e.g., BiCl3) and disclosed the mechanism. Accordingly, we propose a cationic-anionic polymerization (CAP) method where cationic ring-opening polymerization (CROP) of 2-oxazolines (Ox) and anionic ring-opening polymerization (AROP) of cyclic esters (CE) can be initiated sequentially and propagated simultaneously in one-pot, using bismuth salts as the initial initiators, to afford a multifunctional copolymer polyoxazoline-block-polyester (POx-b-PCE). Furthermore, a block copolymer PAPOZ20-b-PCL5 synthesized by CAP can self-assemble into micellar aggregates, which exhibit excellent intrinsic antibacterial activities without loading any extra antibiotic components. Overall, such a CAP method opens new avenues for synthesizing multi-component copolymers and biomaterials.

Suggested Citation

  • Wenli Wang & Xue Liang & Hengxu Liu & Jiamin Zhang & Yuanzu Zhang & Beibei Zhang & Jianhua Li & Yunqing Zhu & Jianzhong Du, 2025. "Cationic-anionic synchronous ring-opening polymerization," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-56953-0
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56953-0
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jiaxi Xu & Xin Wang & Nikos Hadjichristidis, 2021. "Diblock dialternating terpolymers by one-step/one-pot highly selective organocatalytic multimonomer polymerization," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-10, December.
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