Polycarbonates made using high activity catalysts
AssigneeCornell Research Foundation, Inc.
InventorsGeoffrey W. Coates, Ming Cheng
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Polycarbonates having M.sub.n ranging from about 5,000 to about 40,000 and a molecular weight distribution ranging from 1.05 to 2.0 are prepared from epoxides and CO.sub.2 using a catalyst which has a Zn center and two ligands where one of the ligands is a propagating group and the other of the ligands is not a propagating group and an activity of at least one turnover per hour, preferably at least 100 turnovers per hour. Preferred catalysts have a ##STR1## moiety with group on each nitrogen containing a phenyl moiety.
Claims32
Compound having the formula ##STR15## where each R.sub.1 is selected from the group consisting of C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkyl where one or more hydrogens is optionally replaced by halogen and C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 aryl where one or more hydrogens is optionally replaced by halogen and each R.sub.1 is the same or different and each R.sub.2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, cyano, C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkyl where one or more hydrogens is optionally replaced by halogen and C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 aryl where one or more hydrogens is optionally replaced by halogen and each R.sub.2 is the same or different, and R is selected from the group consisting of C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkyl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 aryl and polymer of weight average molecular weight up to 1,000,000 having at least one pendant carboxyl group, or dimer thereof, said compound or dimer thereof being effective to catalyze the reaction of epoxide and CO.sub.2 to form polycarbonate.
Compound having the formula where each R.sub.1 is selected from the group consisting of C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkyl where one or more hydrogens is optionally replaced by halogen and C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 aryl where one or more hydrogens is optionally replaced by halogen and each R.sub.1 is the same or different and each R.sub.2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, cyano, C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkyl where one or more hydrogens is optionally replaced by halogen and C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 aryl where one or more hydrogens is optionally replaced by halogen and each R.sub.2 is the same or different, and R.sub.3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkyl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.20 aryl and polymer of weight average molecular weight up to 1,000,000 having at least one pendant hydroxyl group, or dimer thereof, said compound or dimer thereof being effective do catalyze reaction of epoxide and CO.sub.2 to for polycarbonate.
A method for preparing polycarbonate, said method comprising copolymerizing monomers comprising CO.sub.2 and epoxide selected from the group consisting of C.sub.2 -C.sub.20 alkylene oxides, C.sub.4 -C.sub.12 cycloalkene oxides and styrene oxide in the presence of a catalyst which has a Zn center and two ligands where one of the ligands is a propagating group and the other of the ligands is not a propagating group and an activity of at least one TO/hr.
Polycarbonate having a M.sub.n ranging from about 5,000 to about 40,000 and a molecular weight distribution ranging from 1.05 to 2.0, the M.sub.n and the molecular weight distribution being determined by gel permeation chromatography.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.