Synthesis and Organo‐Catalyzed Ring‐Opening of a Six‐Membered Heterocycle Combining Phosphonate and Ester Functions

Abstract

AbstractThe synthesis of a difunctional P‐heterocycle combining phosphonate and ester moieties in a six‐membered ring is described. Using trifluoromethane sulfonic acid HOTf as organocatalyst, ring‐opening with neopentyl alcohol readily occurs with complete selectivity for O‐acyl bond cleavage. In turn, ring‐opening polymerization proceeds in a controlled manner when an excess of P‐heterocycle is used. Copolymerization with ϵ‐caprolactone is also reported and semi‐batch conditions are shown to enable regular incorporation of the phosphonate moieties along the polymer chains.