Poly(lactide) (PLA), which is the polymer that will be discussed in this chapter, was functionalized with nitrogen containing aromatic groups by means ring opening polymerization (ROP) reactions. The obtained macroligands were successfully employed to coordinate Pd(II), which chemoselectively hydrogenated αβ–unsaturated carbonyl compounds to give the saturated counterparts as main product. The catalyst could be easily recycled upon a simple filtration process.
Part of the book: New Advances in Hydrogenation Processes