Structure-activity correlations of calcined Mg-Al hydrocalcites for aliphatic polycarbonate synthesis <Emphasis Type="Italic">via</Emphasis> transesterification process

Mg-Al mixed oxides with different Mg/Al molar ratio were prepared by thermal decomposition of hydrotalcitelike precursors at 500 °C 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 M _w of 1.64 × 10⁵ g/mol at 210 °C 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.