Discipline: Chemistry and Chemical Sciences
Subcategory: Materials Science
Zakiya Barnes - Savannah State University
Co-Author(s): Rasaan Ford and DeChristian Guthrie
Polyesters are commonly applied in bio-medical engineering for drug delivery devices and tissue engineering products because of their biodegradable and biocompatible properties. Cyclic esters containing cross-linkable olefinic pendant arms will be employed for the first time as monomers for cross-linked biodegradable polyesters using new heteroleptic lanthanide complexes (LLnX). The new heteroleptic lanthanide complexes [L^B2 LaN〖{(Si〖(CH_3)〗_3)〗_2] (1) and [L^B2 NdN〖(Si〖(CH_3)〗_3)〗_2] (2) were synthesized from acid-base ligand exchange reactions between chiral ligand H_2 L^B2 and corresponding homoleptic lanthanide compound (La〖[N〖{(Si (CH_3 )_3 }_2)]〗_3〗_ or Nd〖[N〖{(Si(CH_3 )_3}〗_2]〗_3 respectively) at -40◦C in toluene. Compounds 1 and 2 were subsequently reacted with excess isopropanol to obtain, – [L^B2〖LaO〗^i Pr] (3) and [L^B2〖NdO〗^i Pr] (4). The new LLnX complexes will then be used as catalyst for the ring opening polymerization of MBL (α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone).
Funder Acknowledgement(s): Department of Defense - Army Research Offices
Faculty Advisor: Pascal Binda,