Issue 19, 2014

Mechanism studies of terpolymerization of phthalic anhydride, propylene epoxide, and carbon dioxide catalyzed by ZnGA

Abstract

The terpolymerizations of carbon dioxide (CO2), propylene oxide (PO) and phthalic anhydride (PA) using zinc glutarate (ZnGA) as the catalyst were carried out in toluene solution. The monomer reactivity ratios of carbon dioxide and phthalic anhydride (rCO2 = 5.94 and rPA = 0.21) were experimentally evaluated by Fineman–Ross methodology. The results indicate that the reactivity of CO2 is much higher than that of PA, resulting in a random sequence structure of ester and carbonate units in the terpolymer. It is found that the introduction of a small amount of the third monomer PA can significantly increase PO conversion and the molecular weight of the terpolymer. Terpolymers with very high number-average molecular weight (Mn), up to 221 kg mol−1, can be obtained at the optimal reaction conditions (PA/PO molar ratio: 1/8, temperature: 75 °C, CO2 pressure: 5 MPa). This is the highest Mn reported to date for the terpolymerization of CO2, epoxides and cyclic anhydrides, together with very high PO conversion of 72.5%. Moreover, the synthesized terpolymers exhibit a high Tg of about 41 °C and higher thermal stabilities compared with the copolymer of PO and CO2.

Graphical abstract: Mechanism studies of terpolymerization of phthalic anhydride, propylene epoxide, and carbon dioxide catalyzed by ZnGA

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 Nov 2013
Accepted
16 Jan 2014
First published
27 Jan 2014

RSC Adv., 2014,4, 9503-9508

Author version available

Mechanism studies of terpolymerization of phthalic anhydride, propylene epoxide, and carbon dioxide catalyzed by ZnGA

Y. Liu, M. Xiao, S. Wang, L. Xia, D. Hang, G. Cui and Y. Meng, RSC Adv., 2014, 4, 9503 DOI: 10.1039/C3RA46343E

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements