Facile synthesis of poly(ether carbonate)s via copolymerization of CO2 and propylene oxide under combinatorial catalyst of rare earth ternary complex and double metal cyanide complex

• Published in: Journal of polymer science. Part A, Polymer chemistry Vol. 50; no. 2; pp. 362 - 370
• Main Authors: Dong, Yanlei, Wang, Xianhong, Zhao, Xiaojiang, Wang, Fosong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 15-01-2012; Wiley
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Bulk molding compounds; carbon dioxide; Carbonates; Catalysts; Combinatorial analysis; combinatorial catalyst; Copolymerization; Cyanides; Exact sciences and technology; Organic polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; Polymer blends; Preparation, kinetics, thermodynamics, mechanism and catalysts; Rare earth metals; rheology; thermal properties; Viscoelasticity; Zinc complex; Carbon dioxide; Complex catalyst; combinatorial catalyst; Thermal stability; thermal properties; Heteronuclear complex; Reaction mechanism; Carbonate copolymer; Alternating copolymerization; Propylene oxide copolymer; Chemical synthesis; copolymerization; rheology; Rare earth metal complex; Cobalt complex; Experimental study; Cyano complex; Complex catalyst copolymerization; Pressure copolymerization; Epoxide; Dinuclear complex; Catalyst activity; Ring opening copolymerization; Aliphatic copolymer
• ISSN: 0887-624X; 0887-6266; 1099-0518
• DOI: 10.1002/pola.25040

Poly(ether carbonate)s (PPCs) with carbonate unit (CU) content ranging from 57.8 to 97.1% and number average molecular weight (Mn) around 100 kg/mol were conveniently prepared via copolymerization of CO2 and propylene oxide under combinatorial catalyst of rare earth ternary (RET) complex and double metal cyanide (DMC) complex. Enhancement of catalytic activity and reduction of propylene carbonate byproduct were realized due to synergetic effect of the two metal catalysts, where DMC can be activated in the presence of RET. Solubility fractionation confirmed that the obtained PPCs were copolymers, not physical blends of each polymer. Thermal performances of the PPCs were closely related to their CU content, their glass transition temperatures (Tg) were tunable in the range of 6.7–36.3 °C, which decreased with decreasing CU content, while their thermal stabilities were enhanced significantly, an increase of 50.5 °C in 50% weight loss temperature was observed when CU content decreased from 97.1 to 57.8%. Both shear storage modulus and complex viscosity increased with increasing CU content, which became more obvious at lower frequency, featuring well with the CU content in the PPCs. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012
Poly(ether carbonate)s with adjustable carbonate content from 57.8 to 97.1% were synthesized conveniently via copolymerization of CO2 and propylene oxide under combinatorial catalyst of rare earth ternary complex(RET) and double metal cyanide complex(DMC), it was found that the thermal and viscoelastic performances of PPCs showed great dependence on carbonate content.