Macromolecular Rapid Communications, Vol.36, No.2, 174-179, 2015
Aliphatic Polycarbonates Based on Carbon Dioxide, Furfuryl Glycidyl Ether, and Glycidyl Methyl Ether: Reversible Functionalization and Cross-Linking
Well-defined poly((furfuryl glycidyl ether)-co-(glycidyl methyl ether) carbonate) (P((FGE-co-GME) C)) copolymers with varying furfuryl glycidyl ether (FGE) content in the range of 26% to 100% are prepared directly from CO 2 and the respective epoxides in a solvent-free synthesis. All materials are characterized by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), H-1 NMR spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The furfuryl-functional samples exhibit monomodal molecular weight distributions with (M) over bar (w)/(M) over bar (n) in the range of 1.16 to 1.43 and molecular weights ((M) over bar (n)) between 2300 and 4300 g mol(-1). Thermal properties reflect the amorphous structure of the polymers. Both post-functionalization and cross-linking are performed via Diels-Alder chemistry using maleimide derivatives, leading to reversible network formation. This transformation is shown to be thermally reversible at 110 degrees C.