Alternating Copolymerization of Carbon Dioxide and Cyclohexene Oxide and Their Terpolymerization with Lactide Catalyzed by Zinc Complexes of N,N Ligands

Abstract For the alternating copolymerization of CO 2 and cyclohexene oxide, a variety of zinc acetate complexes with new aminoimidoacrylate ligands has been synthesized and tested as catalysts. All complexes catalyzed the reaction and structure‐activity investigations revealed that the highest activities and selectivities were reached when the ligand’s aromatic rings were 2,6‐substituted by alkyl groups of different size (isopropyl versus methyl) and when the ligand backbone embodied an electron‐withdrawing cyano group. Furthermore, these complexes catalyzed the terpolymerization of CO 2 , cyclohexene oxide and lactide to give poly(cyclohexyl carbonate‐ co ‐lactide) and the composition of the polymer was adjustable by the monomer feed.