Redox Switches for Catalysis using Ferrocene-based Ligands

Switchable polymerization processes have received increased attention because they hold the promise of mimicking the selectivity exhibited by natural systems. We are studying a chemical method to shuttle between two catalyst states, by switching the oxidation state of iron in ligands containing a ferrocene backbone. This idea is applied to the ring opening polymerization of cyclic esters/ethers catalyzed by transition metal complexes with the goal of forming biodegradable copolymers.