Supercritical CO2 as an Efficient Medium for Macromolecular Carbonate Synthesis through Ring-Opening Co- and Teroligomerization

Abstract

Ring-opening polymerization and teroligomerization processes that involve two different epoxides and carbon dioxide are significantly more efficiently executed in a supercritical CO2 medium. Here, we demonstrate that this generally considered green medium is advantageous for the catalytic formation of both conventional and biobased co- and teroligomers avoiding the occurrence of diffusion-limited catalysis while maximizing the polymer quality, yield, and carbonate content.