CO2 Controlled Catalysis: Switchable Homopolymerization and Copolymerization

Abstract

The first versatile gas-controlled polymerization switch based on reversible absorption of CO2 by organic amidine was developed. The amidine/alcohol system, which originally belonged to CO2 binding organic liquids, served as an efficient CO2-responsive catalyst/initiator system for lactide polymerization. Chemoselective block copolymerization between polylactide and polycarbonate was further explored by opposite gas-controlled amidine and another CrIII catalyst, where an immortal strategy was developed for conjugated alternation of inverse polymerizations on different active species and permits many potential applications.