Block copolymerization of carbon dioxide with cyclohexene oxide and 4-vinyl-1-cyclohexene-1,2-epoxide in based poly(propylene carbonate) by yttrium-metal coordination catalyst

The coordination system, Y(CF₃CO₂)₃ (I)-Zn(Et)₂ (II)-m-hydroxybenzoic acid (III), was found to be the most active catalyst to generate poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) from carbon dioxide and propylene oxide (PO) in 1,3-dioxolane. A high yield and a high molecular weight could be obtained at the conditions of a II/I molar ratio of 20, a III/II molar ratio of 1.0, a temperature of 60 °C, and a pressure of 2.76 MPa. The carbonate content in the resultant PPC was found to be nearly 100%.The block copolymerization in the based PPC was carried out by in situ introducing an epoxide other than PO right after the copolymerization of carbon dioxide with PO using the same catalyst system. The IR and ¹H NMR spectra as well as the measured molecular weights verified the resulting copolymers were block copolymers. For the block copolymerization of CO₂ with cyclohexene oxide and CO₂ with 4-vinyl-1-cyclohexene-1,2-epoxide in the based PPC, the yield as well as the cyclohexene carbonate and the 4-vinyl-1-cyclohexene carbonate contents were found to increase with increasing temperature. The most appropriate temperature was around at 80 °C. The weight-average molecular weights of the block copolymers lay in a range from 2.44×10⁵ to 3.16×10⁵, the polydispersity in a range from 5.0 to 6.3, and the 10% weight loss temperature in a range from 226 to 253 °C. The thermal and mechanical properties of the resultant block copolymers lay between those of PPC, poly(cyclohexene carbonate), and poly(4-vinyl-1-cyclohexene carbonate), indicating the desired properties of a polymer can be achieved via block copolymerization.     

New findings in the catalytic activity of zinc glutarate and its application in the chemical fixation of CO2 into polycarbonates and their derivatives

A heterogeneous zinc glutarate (ZnGA) catalyst and its derivatives were prepared from various zinc and glutarate sources. The hydrothermal reaction between zinc perchlorate hexahydrate and glutaronitrile afforded ZnGA single crystals (sc-ZnGA), with a monoclinic lattice unit cell and a P2/c space group, as determined by X-ray single-crystal structural analysis. The structural details of the ZnGA catalyst are crucial in helping to elucidate its activity in the copolymerization reactions between carbon dioxide (CO₂) and alkylene oxides. X-ray absorption studies provided direct evidence that CO₂ and propylene oxide (PO) are reversibly adsorbed onto the Zn ion centers on the ZnGA surface. Compared to CO₂, PO was found to insert more easily into the Zn–O bond of the ZnGA catalyst, suggesting that the ZnGA-catalyzed copolymerization is initiated by PO rather than CO₂. The activity of the ZnGA catalyst in the copolymerization of CO₂ and PO was found to depend on the zinc source used, and its ability to produce a catalyst of large surface area and high crystallinity (≥77%). Modification of the glutarate ligand with electron-donating or withdrawing substituents failed to enhance the ZnGA catalyst activity further, indicating that glutarate is the best ligand for the Zn metal ion to achieve a high catalytic activity in the CO₂ copolymerization with PO. The ZnGA-catalyzed copolymerization was further optimized to maximize the yield of alternating poly(propylene carbonate), and also extended to the terpolymerization of CO₂ and PO with δ-valerolactone (VL). Terpolymers with high molecular weights and yields could be obtained by adjusting the PO/VL feed ratios. In addition, the terpolymers were found to exhibit excellent enzymatic and biological degradability.     

Copolymerization of carbon dioxide and propylene oxide using zinc adipate as catalyst

Zinc adipate was synthesized from zinc oxide with adipic acid by different methods. Their chemical structure and crystalline morphology were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WXRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. The results showed that the zinc adipate synthesized under magnetic stirring possessed higher degree of crystallinity than that synthesized under mechanical stirring due to the different stirring strength, and therefore exhibited greater catalytic activity for the copolymerization between CO₂ and propylene oxide (PO). The optimum condition for the copolymerization of CO₂ and PO was also investigated. Very high catalytic activity of 110.4 g polymer/g catalyst was afforded under optimizing copolymerization condition. NMR spectra revealed that the synthesized poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) had a highly alternating copolymer structure. DSC and TGA examinations showed that the glass transition temperature and decomposition temperature of the PPC with M_n = 41,900 Da were 27.7 and 248°C, respectively. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 99: 200–206, 2006     

Random copolymerization of ϵ-caprolactone and trimethylene carbonate with rare earth catalysts

Random copolymerization of trimethylene carbonate (TMC) with ϵ-caprolactone (CL) catalyzed by rare earth chloride-epoxide or rare earth isopropoxide has been investigated for the first time. It was found that in the presence of epoxide, rare earth chlorides have high activities for the copolymerization, giving high-molecular-weight random copolymer P(CL-co-TMC) with a narrow molecular weight distribution. Light rare earth chloride-propylene oxide systems are more effective for the copolymerization than heavy rare earth chloride-propylene oxide systems. For the rare earth chloride-epoxide catalyst system, epoxide is the requisite component, and its amount affects the catalytic activity; while rare earth isopropoxide can catalyze the copolymerization alone. The preparative conditions of the copolymer with NdCl₃-5PO system were studied. The reactivity ratios of CL and TMC copolymerization with NdCl₃-5PO determined by Fineman-Ross method are 1.60 for r_TMC and 0.72 for r_CL, respectively. The copolymers were characterized by ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR, GPC, and DSC. The mechanism study shows that the rare earth alkoxide is the active species that initiates the ring opening copolymerization of CL and TMC with acyl-oxygen bond cleavages of the monomers. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 64: 2131–2139, 1997     

Copolymerization of propylene oxide and carbon dioxide in the presence of diphenylmethane diisoyanate

To improve the thermal and mechanical properties of poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC), the copolymerization of CO₂ with PO was successfully carried out in the presence of a third monomer, 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) using supported multi-component zinc dicarboxylate as catalyst. Chemical structure, the molecular weight, as well as thermal and mechanical properties of the resulting new copolymers were fully investigated. The experimental results show that the yield increases with increasing MDI feed content from 0 to 2 wt.%. The introduction of MDI leads to an increase in the molecular weight of PPC with light crosslinking. When the MDI feed content is lower than 3 wt.%, the PPC copolymers have number average molecular weight (Mn) ranging from 153 K to 424 K g/mol and molecular weight distribution (MWD) values ranging from 1.71 to 2.79. The resulting PPC copolymers show higher glass transition temperature (Tg) and decomposition temperature compared with poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) without MDI. Considering the gel content of the resulting copolymers, the optimized MDI feed content should be smaller than 1.5 wt.% based on PO content. The introduction of small amount of MDI provides a very effective way to improve the mechanical properties and thermal stabilities of PPC due to the increase in its molecular weight.     

Ring‐opening polymerization of epichlorohydrin and its copolymerization with other alkylene oxides by quaternary catalyst system

An effective quaternary catalyst consisting of trialkyl aluminum, phosphoric acid, electron donor, and water for ring‐opening polymerization of epichlorohydrin (ECH), as well as its copolymerization with ethylene oxide (EO), propylene oxide (PO), and allyl glycidyl ether (AGE) to obtain elastomers, were studied. We investigated the optimum composition for the quaternary catalyst; the character of the catalyst; the reactivity of the four alkylene oxides during homopolymerization and copolymerization; the behavior of ECH, EO, and PO during terpolymerization; and glass transition temperatures of the copolymer and terpolymers. The results showed that the nitrogen‐containing electron donors are suitable as the third component, whereas oxygen‐containing electron donors are not. Water as the fourth component can increase the molecular weight of the homopolymer and copolymers of ECH. According to the polymerizability of tetrahydrofuran with the quaternary catalyst and the reactivity ratios of the four alkylene oxides, the quaternary catalyst was assumed to be of a coordinated anionic type. The reactivity ratios for these four alkylene oxides were determined to be EO > PO > AGE > ECH. They were verified by terpolymerization of ECH, EO, and PO. The glass transition temperature of the terpolymer exhibits a minimum value at nearly 3:1 molar ratio of PO to EO, when the molar ratio of ECH used is constant at the beginning of terpolymerization. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 80: 2446–2454, 2001     

Selective synthesis of oligo(carbonate-ether) diols from copolymerization of CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> and propylene oxide under zinc-cobalt double metal cyanide complex

Colorless oligo(carbonate-ether) diols were selectively synthesized in high efficiency from copolymerization of CO₂ and propylene oxide (PO) using Zn₃[Co(CN)₆]₂-based double metal cyanide complex (DMC) as catalyst and different molecular weight polypropylene glycols (PPGs) as chain transfer agent. The catalytic activity was related to carbonate unit content and molecular weight of target oligo(carbonate-ether) diols, for oligo(carbonate-ether) diol with number average molecular weight of 6.4 kg/mol and carbonate unit content of 34.3 %, it reached 10.0 kg oligomer/g DMC catalyst during 10 h of copolymerization. Generally, the number average molecular weight of the oligo(carbonate-ether) diol was tunable between 1.8 kg/mol and 6.4 kg/mol, and the molecular weight distribution was controllable between 1.14 and 1.83. Moreover, the carbonate unit content in the oligo-diols can be adjusted between 15.3 % and 62.5 %, lower temperature and higher CO₂ pressure were favorable for higher carbonate content. Better selectivity of oligo(carbonate-ether)diol over propylene carbonate(PC) was realized, where the weight ratio of PC (W_PC) was controlled less than 8.0 wt%. We also found that the alkali metal ion residue may play an important role in PC formation, in some cases this effect may be more significant than backbiting process, removing the residual alkali metal ion should be meaningful in the future to further reduce the PC formation.     

Effects of imidazolium salts as cocatalysts on the copolymerization of CO2 with epoxides catalyzed by (salen)CrCl complex

Imidazolium salts, most of which are room temperature ionic liquids (ILs), have been introduced as effective and tunable cocatalysts in the copolymerization of CO₂ with epoxides catalyzed by (salen)Cr^IIICl complex for the first time. Effects of imidazolium salts with different alkyl chains as well as with different anions on the copolymerization were investigated. The results showed that the copolymerization was influenced obviously by the property of anion. In addition, the cation of imidazolium salts with longer alkyl chain length such as n-dodecyl (TOF, 242.5 h⁻¹, carbonate linkages > 99%) displays better activities and selectivity in the copolymerization as compared with N-MeIm (TOF, 72.5 h⁻¹, carbonate linkages 94%). These results are instructive for further design of task-specific ILs as effective cocatalysts to improve the copolymerization of CO₂ with epoxides.     

Catalytic synthesis and characterization of an alternating copolymer from carbon dioxide and propylene oxide using zinc pimelate

New zinc pimelate catalysts used for copolymerization of carbon dioxide and propylene oxide have been synthesized in high yield by a magnetic stirring method. The regular molecular structure of the zinc pimelate was confirmed by Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction techniques. Accordingly, poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) can be synthesized from carbon dioxide and propylene oxide using these zinc pimelate catalysts. High catalytic efficiency (95.2 gram polymer per gram catalyst or 21 300 g of polymer per mole of zinc) was achieved by optimizing the PO/catalyst ratio. NMR measurement revealed that the PPC synthesized had an alternating copolymer structure. The thermal properties of PPC were determined by modulated differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. The results demonstrated that the PPC copolymer exhibited an extremely high glass transition temperature of 44.27 °C and decomposition temperature of 257 °C, comparable with values reported in literature. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

沉淀法制备碳酸羟基磷灰石的影响因素

通过沉淀法制各了高碳酸根(CO32-)含量的纳米碳酸羟基磷灰石(nanosized carbonated hydroxyapatite,CHA).研究了合成温度、初始原料碳酸氢钠(NaHCO3)和磷酸氢二铵[(NH4)2HPO4]的摩尔比[n(CO32-)/n(PO43-)]和pH值对CO32-替代的影响.用X射线衍射和透射电镜表征CHA粉体的物相组成和形貌.用碳硫元素分析仪和红外光谱研究了CO32-替代的含量和类型.结果表明:随着合成温度的升高或原料中CO32-浓度的减小,CHA晶粒尺寸和长径比增加;合成CHA中的晶相组成和CO32-含量主要由n(CO32-)/n(PO43-)决定;而CO32-的替代类型则主要取决于n(CO32-)/n(PO43-)和pH值.在高pH值或高n(CO32-)/n(PO43-)的合成条件下,能够获得以B型替代为主的CHA.     

DMC催化马来酸酐与环氧丙烷开环共聚行为类型及动力学的研究

研究了双金属氰化络合物（DMC）催化剂催化马来酸酐（MAn）与环氧丙烷（PO）开环共聚行为类型及动力学特征.用IR和1H-NMR表征了共聚物结构,结果表明MAn单体在DMC催化剂催化下不能开环均聚合,聚合为交替共聚.开环共聚合行为类型研究表明,以DMC催化剂催化MAn-PO开环共聚合中,PO单体竞聚率r1〉0、MAn单体竞聚率r2=0,进一步证明此聚合为交替共聚.以共聚行为类型为依据,对聚合动力学进行了研究,结果表明：共聚合反应动力学方程式为Rp=K[C][M],聚合反应速率与单体浓度及催化剂浓度均成一次方关系.     

Copolymerization of carbon dioxide and propylene oxide with neodymium trichloroacetate-based coordination catalyst

The copolymerizations of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and propylene oxide (PO) were performed using new ternary rare-earth catalyst. It was found that the rare-earth coordination catalyst consisting of Nd(CCl₃COO)₃, ZnEt₂ and glycerine was very effective for the copolymerization of PO with CO₂. The effects of the relative molar ratio and addition order of the catalyst components, copolymerization reaction time, and operating pressure as well as temperature on the copolymerization were systematically investigated. At an appropriate combination of all variables, the yield could be as high as 6875 g/mol Nd per hour at 90 °C in a 8 h reaction period.     

Lamination of polytetrafluoroethylene films via surface thermal graft copolymerization with ionic and zwitterionic monomers

Surface thermal graft copolymerization with concurrent lamination was carried out between two argon plasma‐pretreated polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) films in the presence of aqueous zwitterionic solutions of N,N‐dimethyl‐N‐methacrylamidopropyl‐N‐(3‐sulfopropyl)ammonium betain (DMASAB), N,N‐dimethyl(methacryloylethyl)ammonium propansulfonate (DMAPS), and 1‐(3‐sulfopropyl)‐2‐vinylpyridinium betaine (SVPB), as well as an aqueous ionic solution of potassium‐2‐sulfopropylacrylate (SPA) and potassium‐2‐sulfopropyl methacrylate (SPM), under atmospheric conditions and in the complete absence of an added initiator and system degassing. The lap shear adhesion strength between the PTFE films from simultaneous grafting and lamination depended on the argon plasma pretreatment time of PTFE films, the thermal lamination temperature, the concentration of the monomer solution, and the ionic nature of the grafted chains. Lap shear adhesion strength greater than 120 N/cm² and exceeding the yield strength of the PTFE substrate used could be readily obtained in most PTFE/zwitterion/PTFE assemblies after simultaneous thermal graft copolymerization and lamination. The chemical compositions of the graft‐copolymerized surfaces were studied by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 74: 816–824, 1999     

Selective production of poly(carbonate–co–ether) over cyclic carbonate for epichlorohydrin and CO2 copolymerization via heterogeneous catalysis of Zn–Co (III) double metal cyanide complex

Epichlorohydrin (ECH), as a cheap raw chemical material, is an ideal monomer for copolymerization with CO₂ to produce biodegradable polycarbonates. This work describes the selective ECH–CO₂ copolymerization via heterogeneous catalysis of nanolamellar zinc–cobalt double metal cyanide complex (Zn–Co (III) DMCC), affording a poly(carbonate–co–ether) with carbonate content up to 70.7%. Remarkably, the cyclic carbonate contents in the product are 5.0%–11.3% at 25–60 °C, better than those from homogeneous catalysis. Moreover, the copolymer with 70.7% carbonate content presents high thermal decomposition temperature of 250 °C and relatively high glass-transition temperature (T_g) of 31.2 °C.     

Ring‐opening copolymerization of maleic anhydride with propylene oxide by double‐metal cyanide

Ring‐opening copolymerization of maleic anhydride (MA) with propylene oxide (PO) was successfully carried out by using double‐metal cyanide (DMC) based on Zn₃[Co(CN)₆]₂. The characteristics of the copolymerization are presented and discussed in this article. The structure of the copolymer was characterized with IR and ¹H‐NMR. Number‐average molecular weight (M_n) and molecular weight distribution (MWD) of the copolymer were measured by GPC. The results showed that DMC was a highly active catalyst for copolymerization of MA and PO, giving high yield at a low catalyst level of 80 mg/kg. The catalytic efficiency reached 10 kg polymer/g catalyst. Almost alternating copolymer was obtained when monomer charge molar ratio reached MA/PO ≥ 1. The copolymerization can be also carried out in many organic solvents; it was more favorable to be carried in polar solvents such as THF and acetone than in low‐polarity solvents such as diethyl ether and cyclohexane. The proper reaction temperature carried in the solvents was between 90 and 100 °C. The M_n was in the range of 2000–3000, and it was linear with the molar ratio of conversion monomer and DMC catalyst. The reactivity ratio of MA and PO in this reaction system was given by the extended Kelen–Tudos equation: η=[r₁+(r₂/α)]ξ?(r₂/α) at some high monomer conversion. The value of reactivity ratio r₁(MA) = 0 for MA cannot be polymerized itself by DMC catalyst, and r₂(PO) = 0.286. The kinetics of the copolymerization was studied. The results indicated that the copolymerization rate is first order with respect to monomer concentration. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 1788–1792, 2004     

反应精馏合成2-羟丙基甲醚的研究

以甲醇和环氧丙烷为反应物,采用均相连续反应精馏法合成了２－羟丙基甲醚。对三乙胺、氢氧化钠、氢氧化钾、碳酸钠和碳酸钾五种催化剂的催化活性和选择性进行了研究。考察了以三乙胺为催化剂时进料摩尔比和环氧丙烷进料速率对环氧丙烷转化率、２－羟丙基甲醚选择性及收率的影响,并对反应精馏塔的温度分布进行了讨论     

Kinetics of the copolymerization of alkylene oxides with glycidyl methacrylate

In the present study, the kinetics of copolymerization reaction of propylene oxide (PO) and butylene oxide (BO) with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) in the presence of BF₃ · O(C₂H₅)₂ catalyst were investigated. The kinetic parameters and activation energy of the copolymerization reaction were calculated. The amounts of reacting PO, BO, and GMA during copolymerization were determined by chromatographic method, because the same copolymerization conditions were carried out for them. It was determined that the copolymerization rate of PO (r₀) and BO (r₀) was higher than that of GMA, but activation energy (E) of GMA was higher than that of PO and BO. The rate of reaction, the rate constant, and activation energy were calculated from the amount of copolymer obtained with respect to time. The structures of synthesized copolymers were determined by the spectral and chemical analysis methods. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

一种多响应性纳米凝胶用于盐酸阿霉素的释放

以甘蔗渣为原料，用HNO3/H3PO4-NaNO2混合体系氧化甘蔗渣纤维素得到单羧基纤维素，然后在交联剂胱胺双丙烯酰胺（CBA）存在下，甲基丙烯酸酐修饰的单羧基甘蔗渣纤维素（MAMC-SBC）和N-异丙基丙烯酰胺（NIPAM）在水相中通过原位自由基共聚反应，得到具有氧化还原、pH和热响应性的纳米凝胶。通过FTIR、1H NMR、SEM和高精度粒度分析仪对纳米凝胶的结构进行表征。结果表明，纳米凝胶是粒径分布均一的微球，在溶胀状态下平均粒度为183± 2 nm。盐酸阿霉素（DOX）作为模型药物被有效地装载到纳米凝胶中，药物载药效率高达82.7 ％。结果发现，通过还原剂、pH和温度及其它们之间的协同效应可以精准地控制药物的释放。     

Selective copolymerization of carbon dioxide with propylene oxide catalyzed by a nanolamellar double metal cyanide complex catalyst at low polymerization temperatures

Traditional cobalt-zinc double metal cyanide complex [Zn-Co(III)DMCC] catalysts could catalyze the copolymerization of carbon dioxide (CO₂) with propylene oxide (PO) to afford poly (propylene carbonate) (PPC) with high productivity. But the molecular weight (MW) of PPC and the polycarbonate selectivity were not satisfied. In this work, by using a nanolamellar Zn-Co(III) DMCC catalyst, the CO₂-PO copolymerization was successfully performed to yield PPC with high molecular weight (M_n: 36.5 kg/mol) and high molar fraction of CO₂ in the copolymer (FCO₂: 74.2%) at low polymerization temperatures (40∼80 °C). Improved selectivity (FCO₂: 72.6%) and productivity of the catalyst (6050 g polymer/g Zn) could be achieved at 60 °C within 10 h. The influences of water content on CO₂-PO copolymerization were quantitatively investigated for the first time. It was proposed that trace water in the reaction system not only acted as an efficient chain transfer agent, which decreased MW of the resultant copolymer, but also strongly interacted with zinc site of the catalyst, which led to low productivity of PPC and more amounts of cyclic propylene carbonate (cPC). These conclusions were also supported by the apparent kinetics of CO₂-PO copolymerization. ESI-MS results showed that all polymers have two end alkylhydroxyl groups. It was thus proposed that the alkylhydroxyl groups came from the initiation reaction of Zn-OH in the catalyst and the chain transfer reaction by H₂O. The proposed mechanism of chain initiation, propagation and chain transfer reaction were proved by the experimental results.     

Carbon dioxide/propylene oxide coupling reaction catalyzed by chromium salen complexes

A series of chromium/Schiff base complexes N,N′-bis(salicylidene)-1,2-phenylenediamino chromium^III X were prepared and employed for the alternating copolymerization of carbon dioxide with racemic propylene oxide in the presence of (4-dimethylamino)pyridine. The effect of the complex structure and reaction conditions on the catalytic activity, the poly(propylene carbonate)/cyclic carbonate (PPC/PC) selectivity, and the polymer head-to-tail linkages was examined. The experiments indicated that N,N′-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylidene)-1,2-phenylenediamino chromium^III (NO₃) exhibited the highest PPC/PC selectivity as well as polymer head-to-tail linkages and N,N′-bis(3,5-dichlorosalicylidene)-1,2-phenylenediimino chromium^III (NO₃) possessed the highest catalytic activity among these chromium/Schiff base complexes. The structure of the produced copolymer was characterized by the IR, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR measurements. Almost 100% carbonate content of the resulting polycarbonate were obtained with the help of these effective catalyst systems under facile conditions.