Abstract
The terpolymerization of propylene oxide (PO), CO2, and a lactone is one of the prominent sustainable procedures for synthesizing thermoplastic materials at an industrial scale. Herein, the one-pot terpolymerization of PO, CO2, and β-butyrolactone (BBL) was achieved for the first time using a heterogeneous nano-sized catalyst: zinc glutarate (ZnGA-20). The reactivity of both PO and BBL increased with the CO2 pressure, and the polyester content of the terpolymer poly (carbonate-co-ester) could be tuned by controlling the infeed ratio of PO to BBL. When the polyester content increased, the thermal stability of the polymers increased, whereas the glass transition temperature (Tg) decreased.
Highlights
The conversion of CO2 into chemical commodities, the synthesis of biodegradable poly(alkylene carbonates) by the alternating copolymerization of an epoxide and CO2, is regarded as one of the most sustainable approaches for the use of CO2 as a source material in large-scale industrial processes [1–11]
zinc glutarate (ZnGA) has been used as a catalyst in the terpolymerization of propylene oxide (PO) and CO2 with several monomers, including lactones, cyclic anhydrides, and other epoxides [29–40]
As as part of our continued research efforts to improve improve the catalytic catalytic activity activity of ZnGA and explore additional applications for ZnGA [11], we report the ZnGA-catalyzed terpolymerization of PO, butyrolactone β-butyrolactone (BBL), and CO2 (Scheme (Scheme 1), 1), which which affords affords poly(ester-co-carbonates) poly(ester-co-carbonates) with thermal and mechanical properties that can be tuned tuned by by adjusting adjusting the the ratio ratio of of PO
Summary
The conversion of CO2 into chemical commodities, the synthesis of biodegradable poly(alkylene carbonates) by the alternating copolymerization of an epoxide and CO2 , is regarded as one of the most sustainable approaches for the use of CO2 as a source material in large-scale industrial processes [1–11]. Poly(alkylene carbonates) are characterized by a variety of properties, e.g., lightness, strength, durability, high transparency, heat resistance, and good electrical insulating ability They are applied as adhesives, coating and packing materials, and binders in ceramic industries. The thermal stability and biodegradability of PPC still remain to be enhanced for a wide range of industrial applications [7,13] In this context, to modify the thermal and mechanical properties of the PPCs, the terpolymerization of PO and CO2 with a third monomer has been presented as an economic and environmentally benign method [26–28]. To modify the thermal and mechanical properties of the PPCs, the terpolymerization of PO and CO2 with a third monomer has been presented as an economic and environmentally benign method [26–28] To this end, ZnGA has been used as a catalyst in the terpolymerization of PO and CO2 with several monomers, including lactones, cyclic anhydrides, and other epoxides [29–40].
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