Green Chemistry Blog

In this tutorial review, Donald Darensbourg and Stephanie Wilson highlight the recent advances in the copolymerisation of carbon dioxide (CO₂) with epoxides (oxiranes) to produce polycarbonates.

The advances in this area are discussed with specific reference to catalysts that have been designed to afford high selectivity for the copolymer versus cyclic carbonate formation.  The authors not only illustrate the advances in poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) production by also investigate the underlying reasons for the differences in the reactivity of propylene oxide and cyclohexene oxide. 

Darensbourg and Wilson conclude by highlighting the need for improved catalysts which can prevent the degradation of PPC in the presence of azide ions – specifically those catalysts with appended amines or ammonium salts. 

Interested?  Read the full article for free until the 2nd October 2012…

What’s new with CO₂? Recent advances in its copolymerization with oxiranes, Donald J. Darensbourg and Stephanie J. Wilson, Green Chem., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/C2GC35928F

You may also be interested in this critical review article – free to access for 2 weeks:

Synthesis of cyclic carbonates from epoxides and CO₂, Michael North, Riccardo Pasquale and Carl Young, Green Chem., 2010, 12, 1514-1539

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