A Method Of Preparing Aliphatic Polycarbonates By Rocop Of Epoxide And CO2 Via Organocatalyst

Technology Category: Chemistry & Chemical Analysis

Industry: Aliphatic polycarbonates

Application: Food storage containers. refregerator, Microwave, solid state battery, Coatings, Adhesives, sealants, automotive parts and apparel.

Market: The global polycarbonate market was valued at USD 16.9 billion in 2022 and is poised to reach USD 31 billion by 2032.

Traditional petroleum-based polymers are non-renewable, slow to degrade, and contribute significantly to landfill waste and CO2 emissions, exacerbating climate change.
Research going on CO2 as a feedstock for polymer production, aiming to reduce the environmental impact of conventional polymers.
Metal-based catalysts have shown effectiveness in polymerizing CO2 with epoxides, they pose issues such as complex ligand synthesis, toxicity.
There is a need for the organocatalytic systems, specifically using tert-butyl hypochlorite and iodine, which offer a metal-free, more efficient, and environmentally friendly alternative for the production of aliphatic polycarbonates from CO2.

The method uses CO2 and epoxide reactions to produce biodegradable aliphatic polycarbonates, offering a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based polymers.
The reaction is catalyzed by a metal-free system using tert-butyl hypochlorite and iodine (I2), avoiding the drawbacks of metal-based catalysts such as toxicity, complexity, and contamination in the final product.
The process involves heating the reaction mixture at 60–100°C (optimally 80°C) for 8-16 hours (typically 12 hours) and pressurizing with CO2 at 20–60 bars (optimal pressure 40 bars) to achieve polycarbonate formation.
Suitable epoxides include cyclohexene oxide (CHO), propylene oxide, styrene oxide, or mixtures. These epoxides react with CO2 to produce the desired polycarbonates through ring-opening copolymerization (ROCOP).
The resulting polycarbonates can be used in medical (surgical instruments, drug delivery) and consumer applications (food packaging, solid-state batteries), highlighting the versatility and commercial potential of the technology.

Novel method for preparing aliphatic polycarbonates by utilizing tert-butyl hypochlorite and iodine.
The epoxide used in the method can be selected from a wide range of compounds, including cyclohexene oxide (CHO), propylene oxide, styrene oxide.
The method enables fine-tuned control over the reaction conditions, including the ratio of tert-butyl hypochlorite to iodine (ranging from 0.5:1 to 1:0.5), the heating temperature (60 to 100°C, specifically 80°C), and the pressurization with CO2 (from 20 to 60 bars).
End product suitable for medical applications such as surgical instruments, drug delivery systems, hemodialysis membranes, and blood filters, as well as for food packaging, beverage packaging, and solid-state batteries.
Eco-friendly route to produce degradable polycarbonates.
This invention integrates CO2 as a key reactant. This reduces dependence on fossil fuels.
The use of tert-butyl hypochlorite and iodine as catalysts in the presence of CO2 enhances the efficiency of the polymerization reaction compared to conventional catalysts.
The key benefits of this invention are its environmental friendliness, enhanced catalytic efficiency, flexibility in starting materials, and broad industrial applicability.

Prof. Debashis Chakraborty

Department of Chemistry

TRL-4

Technology validated in lab

Technology Transfer