Carbon-dioxide-derived unsaturated alicyclic polycarbonate: Synthesis, characterization, and post-polymerization modification

A facile pathway for functionalizing carbon dioxide (CO2) derived alicyclic polycarbonates has been developed by the combination of CO2 unsaturated alicyclic epoxide alternating copolymerization and subsequent post-polymerization modification. Thus, poly(cyclohexadiene carbonate) (PCHDC) was synthesized by the alternating copolymerization of CO2 and 1,4-cyclohexadiene-1,2-oxide with tetraphenylporphyrinatocobalt(III) chloride/dimethylaminopyridine. The subsequent post-polymerization modification of PCHDC by bromine addition to double bonds efficiently proceeded to afford the brominated polycarbonate, i.e., poly(dibromocyclohexene carbonate). The effect of post-polymerization modification on their thermal properties was further examined through thermal gravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry analyses. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.