Zn-gallate catalyzed synthesis of high-performance CO2-polymers with tunable composition and architecture

Abstract

To address the urgent need for CO2 utilization in climate change mitigation, this study presents a highly efficient Zn-gallate catalyzed polymer synthesis, directly incorporating CO2 alongside lactide and propylene oxide. This versatile catalyst facilitates both one-step random and sequential polymerization strategies, providing access to a diverse range of CO2-polymers. By precisely controlling composition and architecture, we synthesized random terpolymers, incorporating CO2, with catalytic activities of 1.7-3.6kg/g-cat and 9.4-36wt% PLA, and block copolymers involving CO2 with catalytic activities of 0.7-3.0kg/g-cat and 15-76wt% PLA. These precisely tailored CO2-polymers display their potential to replace fossil-fuel-derived plastics like LDPE.