Sodium complexes as precise tools for cutting polymer chains. Exploration of PLA degradation by unique cooperation of sodium centers

Novel sodium coordination compounds with aminonaphtholate and aminophenolate ligands have been synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic methods, X-ray analysis, and DFT calculations. The flexible ligand framework forms tetra- or binuclear complexes suitable for binding polylactide chains. All compounds mediate the depolymerization of polylactide highly effectively at room temperature in a controlled fashion. Furthermore, the experimental data, a possible pathway for sodium compound transformation from a stable structural motif to an active form, and a mechanistic pathway for the depolymerization process have been verified by applying theoretical studies.