En route to CO ₂-containing renewable materials: catalytic synthesis of polycarbonates and non-isocyanate polyhydroxyurethanes derived from cyclic carbonates

Abstract

The strategies and challenges in the preparation of fully renewable materials prepared from CO ₂ and biomass enabled by catalysis are presented.

Abstract

Combining CO ₂-chemistry with biomass conversion allows renewable polymeric materials including polycarbonates and polyhydroxyurethanes (PHUs) to be generated. The demand for robust materials with modular properties that can be prepared on an industrial scale is important and, to date, the most important polymeric materials are derived from petrochemicals. These materials inevitably result in CO ₂ emissions, and therefore making robust materials from renewable sources will contribute to a more sustainable society. An attractive way to address this challenge is to combine biomass transformations with CO ₂-fixation and material science. An identified target that combines all three aspects involves the preparation of PHUs (or non-isocyanate polyurethanes, NIPUs) via the polymerization of fully renewable cyclic carbonates derived from biomass and CO ₂ with a diamine compound that can also been derived from biomass sources. In this review, we critically analyze the progress in catalyst development for the efficient transformation of epoxides and CO ₂ to cyclic carbonates and polycarbonates. We also discuss the synthesis of PHUs from cyclic carbonates and diamines (not restricted to fully renewable compounds), including challenges in regiocontrol and biodegradability, as well as the role catalysts play in the synthesis of these polymers.