Chemoselective Alternating Copolymerization of Limonene Dioxide and Carbon Dioxide: A New Highly Functional Aliphatic Epoxy Polycarbonate.

The alternating copolymerization of biorenewable limonene dioxide with carbon dioxide (CO2 ) catalyzed by a zinc β-diiminate complex is reported. The chemoselective reaction results in linear amorphous polycarbonates that carry pendent methyloxiranes and exhibit glass transition temperatures (Tg ) up to 135 °C. These polycarbonates can be efficiently modified by thiols or carboxylic acids in combination with lithium hydroxide or tetrabutylphosphonium bromide as catalysts, respectively, without destruction of the main chain. Moreover, polycarbonates bearing pendent cyclic carbonates can be quantitatively prepared by CO2 insertion catalyzed by lithium bromide.