Synthesis of aliphatic polyesters has been studied intensively due to their biocompatible and biodegradable properties and their potential applications in medical and agricultural fields. There has been particular emphasis over the past decade on the synthesis of discrete, well-characterized complexes that are active polymerization initiators for the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of lactide (LA) and β-butyrolactone (BBL) to give, respectively, poly(lactide) (PLA) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB). These recent advances in catalyst design have led to a variety of polyester microstructures. This tutorial review focuses on the use of metal-based complexes for the stereoselective ROP of rac-LA and rac-BBL.

The vast majority of commodity materials are obtained from fossil fuels. However, many studies predict that all fossil resources will be depleted within a few centuries. Biomass represents an abundant carbon-neutral renewable resource for the production of materials. Using biomass for the production of new polymers can have both economic and environmental benefits. This review focuses on the use of biomass for the synthesis of biodegradable polymers.

The vast majority of commodity materials are obtained from petrochemical feedstocks. These resources will plausibly be depleted within the next 100 years, and the peak in global oil production is estimated to occur within the next few decades. In this regard, biomass represents an abundant carbon-neutral renewable resource for the production of polymers. Here we report a new strategy, based on tandem catalysis, to obtain renewable materials. Commercially available complexes are found to be efficient catalysts for alternating polyesters from the cyclization of dicarboxylic acids followed by alternating copolymerization of the resulting anhydrides with epoxides. This operationally simple method is an attractive strategy for the production of new biodegradable polyesters.