Lithium-Assisted Copolymerization of CO 2 /Cyclohexene Oxide: A Novel and Straightforward Route to Polycarbonates and Related Block Copolymers

Dongyue Zhang, Hefeng Zhang, Nikos Hadjichristidis, Yves Gnanou, Xiaoshuang Feng

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

33 Scopus citations

Abstract

A facile route toward alternating polycarbonates by anionic copolymerization of carbon dioxide (CO2) and cyclohexene oxide (CHO), using lithium halide or alkoxide as initiators and triisobutylaluminum (TiBA) as activator, is reported. α,ω-Heterobifunctional and α,ω-dihydroxypoly(cyclohexene carbonate)s (PCHC) as well as poly(CHC-co-CHO) copolymers with different carbonate composition could also be easily synthesized by adjusting the amount of TiBA or by adding inert lithium salts. The value of this initiating system also resides in the easy access to PSt-b-PCHC (PSt: polystyrene) and PI-b-PCHC (PI: polyisoprene) block copolymers which can be derived by mere one-pot sequential addition of styrene or dienes first and then of CO2 and CHO under the same experimental conditions. © 2016 American Chemical Society.
Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2484-2492
Number of pages9
JournalMacromolecules
Volume49
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 23 2016

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KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01

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