Hydrogen-bonding catalysts based on fluorinated alcohol derivatives for living polymerization

Recognize this! A hydrogen-bonding motif based on hexafluorinated alcohol derivatives (see picture; O red, F yellow) activates electrophilic substrates. The catalytic activity of the hydrogen-bonded systems was demonstrated for the ring-opening polymerization of a variety of strained heterocycles. Narrowly dispersed polymers with predictable molecular weights were obtained with end-group fidelity. © 2009 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.