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Cyclohexane-1,4-dimethanol/DMC Condensation Polymerization. The first step was conducted with cyclohexane-1,4-dimethanol (10.0 g, 69 mmol, a mixture of cisand transisomers in 3:7 ratio), NaH (3.3 mg, 0.14 mmol) and DMC (10.3 g, 114 mmol), using identical conditions and procedures to those used for DB/DMC condensation polymerization. In the second step, the condensation reaction was conducted at 180 °C and 380 mmHg for 1 h, at 210 °C and 0.3 mmHg for 1 h, and finally at 240 °C and 0.3 mmHg for 3 h. The catalyst was neutralized with phthaloyl dichloride using the same procedures and conditions as those used for DB/DMC condensation polymerization. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ):  4.04 (d, J = 7.2 Hz, 1.2H, 2 CH 2 OC(O) in cis-isomer), 3.94 (d, J = 6.4 Hz, 2.8H, CH 2 OC(O) in trans-isomer), 2.10-0.80 (m, 10H) ppm.

SummaryThe (salen)Co(III) complex 1 tethering four quaternary ammonium salts, which is a highly active catalyst in CO2/epoxide copolymerizations, shows high activity for propylene oxide/phthalic anhydride (PO/PA) copolymerizations and PO/CO2/PA terpolymerizations. In the PO/PA copolymerizations, full conversion of PA was achieved within 5 h, and strictly alternating copolymers of poly(1,2-propylene phthalate)s were afforded without any formation of ether linkages. In the PO/CO2/PA terpolymerizations, full conversion of PA was also achieved within 4 h. The resulting polymers were gradient poly(1,2-propylene carbonate-co-phthalate)s because of the drift in the PA concentration during the terpolymerization. Both polymerizations showed immortal polymerization character; therefore, the molecular weights were determined by the activity (g/mol-1) and the number of chain-growing sites per 1 [anions in 1 (5) + water (present as impurity) + ethanol (deliberately fed)], and the molecular weight distributions were narrow (M w/M n, 1.05–1.5). Because of the extremely high activity of 1, high-molecular-weight polymers were generated (M n up to 170,000 and 350,000 for the PO/PA copolymerization and PO/CO2/PA terpolymerization, respectively). The terpolymers bearing a substantial number of PA units (f PA, 0.23) showed a higher glass-transition temperature (48 °C) than the CO2/PO alternating copolymer (40 °C).

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A cobalt(III) complex (1) of a salcy-type ligand tethering 4 quaternary ammonium salts, which is thought to act as a highly active catalyst for CO2/propylene oxide (PO) copolymerization, also shows high activity (TOF, 25,900 h(-1); TON, 518,000; 2.72 kg polymer per g cat) and selectivity (>98%) for CO2/ethylene oxide (EO) copolymerization that results in high-molecular-weight polymers (M(n), 200,000-300,000) that have strictly alternating repeating units. The related cobalt(III) complexes 11-14 were prepared through variations of the ligand framework of 1 by replacing the trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane unit with 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propanediamine, trans-1,2-diaminocyclopentane, or 1,1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-diamine or by replacing the aldimine bond with ketimine. These ligand frameworks are thought to favour the formation of the cis-β configuration in complexation, and the formation of the cis-β configuration in 11-14 was confirmed through NMR studies or X-ray crystallographic studies of model complexes not bearing the quaternary ammonium salts. Complexes 11, 13, and 14, which adopt the cis-β configuration even in DMSO did not show any activity for CO2/PO copolymerization. Complex 12, which was constructed with trans-1,2-diaminocyclopentane and fluctuated in DMSO between the coordination and de-coordination of the acetate ligand as observed for 1, showed fairly high activity (TOF, 12,400 h(-1)). This fluctuating behaviour may play a role in polymerization. However, complex 12 did not compete with 1 in terms of activity, selectivity, and the catalyst cost.

Contrary to the stereotype, Jacobsen's catalyst, chiral (salcy)Co(III)OAc adopts an unusual binding mode. The tetradentate {ONNO} ligand does not form a square plane but wraps cobalt in a cis-β fashion while acetate is chelating.

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A simple and convenient method for the preparation of degradable poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) is presented in this work.