SET-LRP in the Neoteric Ethyl Lactate Alcohol

Ethyl lactate (EtLa), a green and safe agrochemical solvent, is gifted with some properties that make it a good candidate for SET-LRP. It dissolves CuBr2, mediates an efficient disproportionation of CuBr in the presence of tris­(2-(dimethylamino)­ethyl)­amine (Me6-TREN), and is capable to dissolve both aqueous (polar) and hydrocarbon (nonpolar) soluble monomers and polymers. Here, we report that EtLa is an excellent solvent for the Cu(0) wire-catalyzed SET-LRP to produce both hydrophilic and hydrophobic polyacrylates that exhibit precise chain end functionality. These results will expand the table of SET-LRP solvents with a new green member of biological origin that is also biodegradable and, therefore, are expected to contribute to continue expanding the use of SET-LRP in the field of biomacromolecules, bioconjugates, and other biology and medicine related disciplines.