Transesterification of Methyl-10-Undecenoate and Poly(ethylene adipate) Catalyzed by (Cyclopentadienyl)Titanium Trichlorides as Model Chemical Conversions of Plant Oils and Acid-, Base-Free Chemical Recycling of Aliphatic Polyesters
K. Nomura, T. Aoki, Y. Ohki, S. Kikkawa, S. Yamazoe
ACS Sus. Chem. Eng., Accepted.

Highly active and exclusive transesterifications of methyl 10-undecenoate with alcohols (cyclohexanemethanol, 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol, 10-undecen-1-ol, 3-hexanol) have been demonstrated by Cp'TiCl3 (Cp' = Cp, C5Me5) at 100-120 ºC. The CpTiCl3 enabled depolymerization of poly(ethylene adipate) by the transesterification (>99 % conv., 0.25-0.5 mol% Ti) at 120 ºC; the depolymerization completed after 6 h at 150 ºC (0.5 mol% Ti).