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Ring‐Opening Polymerization and Copolymerization of Propylene Oxide Catalyzed by N‐Heterocyclic Carbenes
Author(s) -
Lindner Ronald,
Lejkowski Michael L.,
Lavy Séverine,
Deglmann Peter,
Wiss Kerstin T.,
Zarbakhsh Sirus,
Meyer Lars,
Limbach Michael
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
chemcatchem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.497
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1867-3899
pISSN - 1867-3880
DOI - 10.1002/cctc.201300802
Subject(s) - propylene oxide , copolymer , diethylene glycol , polymer chemistry , monomer , polymerization , catalysis , ring opening polymerization , chemistry , polymer , ring (chemistry) , adduct , reaction mechanism , organic chemistry , ethylene oxide , ethylene glycol
Herein, we demonstrate the application of adducts of various N‐heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) with CO 2 (i.e., NHC–CO 2 ) as precatalysts in the ring‐opening homopolymerization of propylene oxide (PO) onto diethylene glycol as a chain starter to give well‐defined polyether diols. The influence of various NHCs on the structure of the polymers and the mechanism of this reaction were investigated both experimentally and through DFT calculations. With this methodology, copolymers of PO and the monomers ε ‐caprolactone and ( S , S )‐lactide are accessible.