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Zinc adipate/tertiary amine catalytic system: efficient synthesis of high molecular weight poly(propylene carbonate)

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Abstract

The copolymerization of carbon dioxide and propylene oxide to generate poly (propylene carbonate) (PPC) were efficiently catalyzed by zinc adipate (ZnAA) in the presence of various tertiary amines as cocatalyst. The influences of temperature, pressure as well as cocatalyst concentration on the copolymerization were studied. The ZnAA/4,4′-methylenebis (N,N-dimethylaniline) composite catalyst shows reasonable high polymer productivity (>280 g polymer/g zinc), high selectivity (>95 %, PPC/cyclic carbonate), especially considerable high molecular weight (Mn > 250 k). Because of the high molecular weight, the as-prepared PPC exhibits apparently improved thermal properties as contrast to the one reported elsewhere previously. Furthermore, the effects of the steric and electronic properties of various tertiary amine derivatives on cocatalytic performance have also been discussed. The experimental results suggest that the tertiary amine cocatalysts with the rigid and bulky aromatic structure are more favorable for the copolymerization.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the China High Tech Development 863 Program (2009AA034900,2009AA03Z340),Guangdong Province Universities and Colleges Pearl River Scholar Funded Scheme (2010), Guangdong Province Sci & Tech Bureau (Key Strategic Project Grant No. 2008A080800024, 10151027501000096),and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities for financial support of this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies/The Key Laboratory of Low-carbon Chemistry& Energy Conservation of Guangdong Province, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People’s Republic of China

    Lei Tang, Min Xiao, Shuanjin Wang & Yuezhong Meng

  2. Instrumental Analysis and Research Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, People’s Republic of China

    Yan Xu

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  1. Lei Tang
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  2. Min Xiao
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  3. Yan Xu
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  4. Shuanjin Wang
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  5. Yuezhong Meng
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Correspondence to Min Xiao or Yuezhong Meng.

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Tang, L., Xiao, M., Xu, Y. et al. Zinc adipate/tertiary amine catalytic system: efficient synthesis of high molecular weight poly(propylene carbonate). J Polym Res 20, 190 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-013-0190-9

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