Structure-Activity Correlations of Calcined Mg-Al Hydrocalcites for Aliphatic Polycarbonate Synthesis via Transesterification Process

• Published in: Chinese journal of polymer science Vol. 35; no. 1; pp. 130 - 140
• Main Authors: Wang, Zi-qing, Bai, Yuan-sheng, Jiang, Wei, Yang, Xian-gui, Liu, Shao-ying, Wang, Gong-ying
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Beijing Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Chemistry, CAS 2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aliphatic compounds; Aluminum; Carbonates; Catalysis; Catalysts; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Condensed Matter Physics; Correlation; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Magnesium; Polycarbonate resins; Polymer Sciences; Specific surface; Surface area; Thermal decomposition; Transesterification; Transesterification; Poly(butylene carbonate); Mg-Al hydrotalcite; Diphenyl carbonate; Basic sites
• ISSN: 0256-7679; 1439-6203
• DOI: 10.1007/s10118-017-1887-8

Mg-Al mixed oxides with different Mg/Al molar ratio were prepared by thermal decomposition of hydrotalcitelike precursors at 500℃ for 5.0 h and used as catalysts for the transesterification of diphenyl carbonate with 1,4-butanediol to synthesize high-molecular-weight poly（butylene carbonate）（PBC）. The structure-activity correlations of these catalysts in this transesterification process were discussed by means of various characterization techniques. It was found that the chain growth for the formation of PBC can only be obtained through connecting ―OH and ―OC（C）OC6H5 end-group upon removing the generated phenol, and the sample with Mg/Al molar ratio of 4.0 exhibited the best catalytic performance, giving PBC with Mw of 1.64 × 105 g/mol at 210 ℃ for 3.0 h. This excellent activity depended mainly on the specific surface area and basicity rather than pore structure or crystallite size of MgO.