A facile and efficient approach to cyclic carbonate monomers for ring-opening polymerization

Our program in developing novel macromolecular therapeutics is built upon functional cyclic carbonate monomers enchained through organic catalysis. The key to advancing these technologies is the ability to access these monomers with diverse functionalities on scale. In this talk we will present significantly improved processes for the synthesis of carbonate monomers in a two-step process that avoids the use of phosgene or choroformate reagents. This process enables access to a broad array of functional groups on the carbonate monomers that can readily be polymerized via organocatalytic ring-opening polymerization.