Progress in the catalytic reactions of CO₂ and epoxides to selectively provide cyclic or polymeric carbonates

Abstract

Sustainability requires that we reuse spent carbon sources from CO2 emissions to generate new products and materials. In this regard, carbon capture is a necessary requirement for avoiding disastrous climate...

The advent of recyclable CO2-based polycarbonates

“…26 This seminal work has given momentum to flourishing catalytic breakthroughs in ROCOP that are summarized in multiple comprehensive and much detailed reviews to which the reader is invited to read. 1,27–30 Conceptually, the polymerization manifold responds to a well-established coordination–insertion mechanism involving first the activation of terminal or internal epoxides by a Lewis acid. This Lewis acid is selected among B(alk) 3 , trivalent Co, Cr, and Al or divalent Zn and Mg metal centers complexed by porphyrin, salen, salphen, β-diimidate, bimetallic macrocyclic phenolates or amino triphenolate ligands, as well as homo- and dinuclear-complexes (such as Mg( ii )/Mg( ii ), Zn( ii )/Zn( ii ), Al( iii )/Al( iii ), Fe( iii )/Fe( iii ), Mg( ii )/Cr( ii ), Mg( ii )/Zn( ii ), and Mg( ii )/Cu( ii ) or dual systems combining Zn( ii ) with a metal from group 1 or 2) (Fig.…”

One-Step Synthesis of Linear and Hyperbranched CO2-Based Block Copolymers via Organocatalytic Switchable Polymerization

“…Global warming and plastic pollution are two main challenges to human survival and development. − In this context, the ring-opening copolymerization (ROCOP) of epoxide/CO 2 is gaining significant momentum, as it gives facile access to a myriad of biodegradable aliphatic polycarbonates, namely, CO 2 -based polycarbonates, using the greenhouse gas CO 2 as a sustainable and low-cost building block under mild reaction conditions. − The high barrier properties make CO 2 -based polycarbonates ideal alternatives for nondegradable polymers in the application of packaging and agricultural mulch film. − Moreover, they may serve as solid-state electrolytes for lithium batteries owing to the lithium ion conductivity of the carbonate moieties. , On the other hand, CO 2 -based polycarbonates produce alcohols and CO 2 rather than organic acids upon hydrolytic degradation, which is highly desirable for pharmaceutical applications. , Recently, the rational design and synthesis of CO 2 -based block copolymers have been a subject of intensive research efforts, aiming at fine-tuning the physical properties, functionalities, and biodegradation rates of CO 2 -based polycarbonates as well as constructing high-value-added nanomaterials with ideal microphase separation. − …”

Metal-free Lewis Pair Catalysts for a One-pot Terpolymerization of Propylene Oxide, ʟ-Lactide and CO2

“…Due to the severe ecological and environmental issues caused by improperly discarded non-degradable plastics, there is an urgent demand to develop eco-friendly biodegradable polymer materials [1][2][3]. Aliphatic polyesters and polycarbonates are two classes of biodegradable polymers among which polylactide (PLA) and poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) are two typical polymers extensively studied in academia and industrialized as biodegradable resins [4,5].…”