Metallocene catalysts for the ring-opening co-polymerisation of epoxides and cyclic anhydrides

There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

Abstract

Group 4 metallocene complexes are effective catalysts in the ring-opening copolymerisation of epoxides and anhydrides to afford bio-derived polymers.

Abstract

The ring-opening co-polymerisation (ROCOP) of epoxides and cyclic anhydrides is a versatile route to new polyesters. The vast number of monomers that are readily available means that an effectively limitless number of unique polymeric materials can be prepared using a common synthetic route, thereby paving the way to polymers that are more recyclable and could be used in applications that currently lie exclusively within the remit of polyolefins. Metallocene complexes [Cp ₂MCl ₂] (M = Ti, Zr, Hf, Cp = η ⁵-C ₅H ₅) are known to be excellent pre-catalysts for olefin polymerisation and yet have not been reported for ROCOP, despite their supreme pedigree in the polymerisation realm. Herein, we report the first application of [Cp ₂MCl ₂] as catalysts for the ROCOP of epoxides and anhydrides and show that they are effective catalysts for this reaction. The catalytic performances are good with standard epoxides such as cyclohexene oxide but are excellent with more challenging sterically demanding limonene oxide, and this therefore represents a highly effective catalyst system for the preparation of bio-derived recyclable polymers.

Related collections

Most cited references 83

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Balanced basis sets of split valence, triple zeta valence and quadruple zeta valence quality for H to Rn: Design and assessment of accuracy.

Florian Weigend, Reinhart Ahlrichs (2005)

Gaussian basis sets of quadruple zeta valence quality for Rb-Rn are presented, as well as bases of split valence and triple zeta valence quality for H-Rn. The latter were obtained by (partly) modifying bases developed previously. A large set of more than 300 molecules representing (nearly) all elements-except lanthanides-in their common oxidation states was used to assess the quality of the bases all across the periodic table. Quantities investigated were atomization energies, dipole moments and structure parameters for Hartree-Fock, density functional theory and correlated methods, for which we had chosen Møller-Plesset perturbation theory as an example. Finally recommendations are given which type of basis set is used best for a certain level of theory and a desired quality of results.

0 comments Cited 2447 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Marine pollution. Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean.

Jenna R Jambeck, Roland Geyer, Chris Wilcox … (2015)

Plastic debris in the marine environment is widely documented, but the quantity of plastic entering the ocean from waste generated on land is unknown. By linking worldwide data on solid waste, population density, and economic status, we estimated the mass of land-based plastic waste entering the ocean. We calculate that 275 million metric tons (MT) of plastic waste was generated in 192 coastal countries in 2010, with 4.8 to 12.7 million MT entering the ocean. Population size and the quality of waste management systems largely determine which countries contribute the greatest mass of uncaptured waste available to become plastic marine debris. Without waste management infrastructure improvements, the cumulative quantity of plastic waste available to enter the ocean from land is predicted to increase by an order of magnitude by 2025.