Copolymerization of carbon dioxide and epoxide with organometallic compounds

Abstract Attempts to copolymerize carbon dioxide with epoxide led us to the first success in using carbon dioxide as a direct starting material for synthesizing high polymers. Some organometallic catalyst systems were found to catalyze the alternate copolymerization of carbon dioxide and epoxide, resulting in the formation of polycarbonates, the structures of which were confirmed with the aid of IR, NMR and elemental analysis. Diethylzinc‐water system produced a methanol insoluble aliphatic polycarbonate of much higher molecular weight than that produced by polycondensation. Thermal properties of the methanol insoluble polycarbonate were studied by differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetric analysis.