ROP of Cyclic Carbonates and ROP of Macrocycles – Latest Developments

Abstract

Aliphatic polycarbonates are among most developing polymeric materials. The review of developments in the synthesis of functional cyclic carbonate monomers, polymerization, and copolymerization of cyclic carbonates as well as post-polymerization functionalization of polycarbonates revealed that in the last 5 years certain important improvements have been made including, inter alia: development of effective organocatalysts for ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of five- and six-membered cyclic carbonates, development of novel ‘immortal’ ROP of cyclic carbonates, development of the synthesis of functional polycarbonates and post-polymerization functionalization of polycarbonates, and development of new catalysts for the reaction of oxiranes with carbon dioxide, leading to development of methods of CO2 sequestration.