Chapter 8: Metal-free Polyether Synthesis by Organocatalyzed Ring-opening Polymerization

Given the importance of polyether-based materials and related copolymers in industrial applications, the present chapter focuses on recent synthetic efforts on such polymers by ring-opening (co)polymerization of epoxide-containing monomers with the aid of an organocatalyst. The chapter is organized by discussing in priority the main families of organocatalysts employed for metal-free (co)polyether and polyepoxide synthesis. Representative organocatalysts are discussed for each family, both through seminal works and more recent developments. The main monomer substrates and structure of the as-prepared copolyethers are presented, and underlying polymerization mechanisms are highlighted.