Addition of Carbon Dioxide to Phenylglycidyl Ether Using Polymer-Supported Quaternary Ammonium Salt Catalysts

The synthesis of phenoxymethyl ethylene carbonate from carbon dioxide and phenyl glycidyl ether was investigated in a semi-batch reactor using crosslinked polystyrene beads containing pendant quaternary ammonium salts as catalysts. The catalysts were prepared by suspension copolymerization of styrene, divinylbenzene (DVB) and vinylbenzyl chloride (VBC), followed by quaternization using trialkylamines. The influence of VBC and DVB concentration, the structure of trialkylamine, and the type of solvent, on the catalytic behavior are discussed. A kinetic study was also carried out to better understand the reaction steps. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.