Polymerization mechanism of trimethylene carbonate carried out with zinc(II) acetylacetonate monohydrate |
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| Authors: | Malgorzata Pastusiak Piotr Dobrzynski Bozena Kaczmarczyk Janusz Kasperczyk |
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| Institution: | 1. Polish Academy of Sciences, Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials, 34 Sklodowska‐Curie Street, 41‐800 Zabrze, Poland;2. Institute of Chemistry, Environmental Protection and Biotechnology, Jan Dlugosz University in Czestochowa, 13 Armii Krajowej, 42‐218 Czestochowa, Poland;3. Department of Biopharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Medical University of Silesia, 1 Narcyzow Str., 41‐200 Sosnowiec, Poland |
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| Abstract: | The proposed mechanism of initiation and course of ring‐opening polymerization of cyclic trimethylene carbonate (TMC) involving zinc(II) acetylacetonate is in accordance with the mechanism of monomer activation. At the first stage of the process, coordination of carbonate to Zn(Acac)2 · H2O complex occurs with the release of weakly coordinated water molecules. This free water molecule reacts with active TMC–Zn(Acac)2 complex. The reaction results in the formation of propanediol and CO2 emission. During further stages of the investigated process, the formed propanediols, or later the oligomeric diols produced with polymerization, are cocatalysts of the chain propagation reaction. The chain propagation occurs because of repeating activation of the TMC monomer through the creation of an active structure resulting in the exchange/transfer reaction between the zinc complex and the monomer, with its following attachment to the hydroxyl groups, carbonate ring opening, and formation of the carbonic unit of polymer chain. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011 |
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| Keywords: | catalysts initiator ring‐opening polymerization trimethylene carbonate zinc(II) acetylacetonate |
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