Precise control of molecular weight and chain shape in carbon dioxide/epoxide alternating copolymerization and preparation of low-molecular-weight poly(alkylene carbonate) thereby

• Main Authors: LEE BUN YEOUL, SUDEVAN SUJITH, ANISH CYRIAC, JEONG JI SU, NA SUNG JAE, OK MYUNG AHN, HAN YONG GYU, CHUNG KWANG JIN
• Format: Patent
• Language: Chinese; English
• Published: 20.02.2013
• Subjects: ACYCLIC, CARBOCYCLIC OR HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS CONTAININGELEMENTS OTHER THAN CARBON, HYDROGEN, HALOGEN, OXYGEN, NITROGEN,SULFUR, SELENIUM OR TELLURIUM; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONSONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS; METALLURGY; ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING

This invention relates to a method of preparing poly(alkylene carbonate) that has a molecular weight and polymer chain structure precisely controlled by adding a chain transfer agent composed of a compound having an alcohol or carboxylic acid functional group upon alternating copolymerization of an epoxide compound and carbon dioxide using a catalyst composed of a trivalent metal complex compound synthesized from a quaternary ammonium salt-containing Salen type ligand, and to a polymer compound prepared thereby. According to this invention, the polymer compound having a star-shaped chain as well as the polymer having a linear chain can be prepared. The low-molecular-weight poly(alkylene carbonate) has an -OH terminal group and can be used alone as a coating agent, etc., and also in mixtures with an isocyanate compound and thus can be easily utilized to prepare polyurethane.