Carboxylate Salts as Ideal Initiators for the Metal-Free Copolymerization of CO 2 with Epoxides: Synthesis of Well-Defined Polycarbonates Diols and Polyols

Naganath G. Patil, Senthil K. Boopathi, Prakash Alagi, Nikos Hadjichristidis, Yves Gnanou*, Xiaoshuang Feng

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

67 Scopus citations

Abstract

Tetrabutylammonium carbonate (TBAC) which is obtained by treating CO 2 with tetrabutylammonium hydroxide is shown to perform as an ideal difunctional initiator for the copolymerization of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and propylene oxide (PO) in the presence of triethylborane (TEB). In this system, CO 2 thus serves as the initiating moiety of its own copolymerization with epoxides when used in the form of a carbonate salt. Based on this remarkable result, mono-, tri-, and tetrafunctional ammonium carboxylate initiators and also other difunctional carboxylate initiators were synthesized and used for the synthesis of well-defined ω-hydroxyl-polycarbonates with linear and star structures. Well-defined telechelics, three- and four-armed star samples of molar mass varying from 1 kg/mol to 10 kg/mol, with around 95% carbonate content, were successfully synthesized. The structure of the obtained polycarbonate ω-polyols were characterized by 1 H NMR, MALDI-TOF, and GPC. The terminal hydroxyl functionality of polycarbonate diol was further used for polycondensation with diisocyanates to afford polyurethanes. Finally, taking TBAC as an example, the recyclability of this ammonium-based initiator is demonstrated for the preparation of polycarbonate diols.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2431-2438
Number of pages8
JournalMacromolecules
Volume52
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 26 2019

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Organic Chemistry
  • Polymers and Plastics
  • Inorganic Chemistry
  • Materials Chemistry

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