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 degrees C, better than those from homogeneous catalysis. Moreover, the copolymer with 70.7% carbonate content presents high thermal decomposition temperature of 250 degrees C and relatively high glass-transition temperature (T-g) of 31.2 degrees C. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.