Novel Simple Approach for Production of Elastic Poly(propylene carbonate)

Trofimchuk, Elena S.; Chernov, Igor V.; Toms, Roman V.; Rzhevskiy, Sergey A.; Asachenko, Andrey F.; Plutalova, Anna V.; Shandryuk, George A.; Chernikova, Elena V.; Beletskaya, Irina P.

doi:10.3390/polym16233248

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Open AccessArticle

Novel Simple Approach for Production of Elastic Poly(propylene carbonate)

by

Elena S. Trofimchuk

^1,*

,

Igor V. Chernov

^1,2,

Roman V. Toms

³

,

Sergey A. Rzhevskiy

⁴,

Andrey F. Asachenko

⁴

,

Anna V. Plutalova

¹,

George A. Shandryuk

⁴,

Elena V. Chernikova

^1,* and

Irina P. Beletskaya

¹

Faculty of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Lenin Hills, 1, Bld. 3, 119991 Moscow, Russia

²

Faculty of Materials Science, Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, Longgang District, Shenzhen 518172, China

³

Institute of Fine Chemical Technologies named by M.V. Lomonosov, MIREA—Russian Technological University, pr. Vernadskogo, 86, 119571 Moscow, Russia

⁴

Topchiev Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskiy av., 29, 119991 Moscow, Russia

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Polymers 2024, 16(23), 3248; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16233248

Submission received: 5 November 2024 / Revised: 20 November 2024 / Accepted: 20 November 2024 / Published: 22 November 2024

(This article belongs to the Section Polymer Applications)

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Abstract

The simple approach of increasing the elastic properties of atactic poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) with Mn = 71.4 kDa, ĐM = M_w/M_n = 1.86, and predominantly carbonate units (>99%) is suggested by selecting the appropriate hot pressing temperature for PPC between 110 and 140 °C. Atactic PPC is synthesized through ring-opening copolymerization of (rac)-propylene oxide and CO2 mediated by racemic salen complex of Co(III). Hot pressing PPC results in the release of a small amount of propylene carbonate (PC), sufficient to lower the glass transition temperature from 39.4 to 26.1 °C. Consequently, increasing the pressing temperature from 110 to 140 °C generates materials with a reduced modulus of elasticity (from 1.94 to 0.09 GPa), yield strength (from 38 to 2 MPa) and increased tensile elongation (from 140 to 940%). Thermomechanical analysis has shown a significant expansion in sample volume by hundreds of percent within the 80–130 °C range. PPC also displays large, reversible deformations, which can be utilized by creating shape memory materials.

Keywords: poly(propylene carbonate); ring-opening copolymerization; cyclodepolymerization; elastic properties; polymer films

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MDPI and ACS Style

Trofimchuk, E.S.; Chernov, I.V.; Toms, R.V.; Rzhevskiy, S.A.; Asachenko, A.F.; Plutalova, A.V.; Shandryuk, G.A.; Chernikova, E.V.; Beletskaya, I.P. Novel Simple Approach for Production of Elastic Poly(propylene carbonate). Polymers 2024, 16, 3248. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16233248

AMA Style

Trofimchuk ES, Chernov IV, Toms RV, Rzhevskiy SA, Asachenko AF, Plutalova AV, Shandryuk GA, Chernikova EV, Beletskaya IP. Novel Simple Approach for Production of Elastic Poly(propylene carbonate). Polymers. 2024; 16(23):3248. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16233248

Chicago/Turabian Style

Trofimchuk, Elena S., Igor V. Chernov, Roman V. Toms, Sergey A. Rzhevskiy, Andrey F. Asachenko, Anna V. Plutalova, George A. Shandryuk, Elena V. Chernikova, and Irina P. Beletskaya. 2024. "Novel Simple Approach for Production of Elastic Poly(propylene carbonate)" Polymers 16, no. 23: 3248. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16233248

APA Style

Trofimchuk, E. S., Chernov, I. V., Toms, R. V., Rzhevskiy, S. A., Asachenko, A. F., Plutalova, A. V., Shandryuk, G. A., Chernikova, E. V., & Beletskaya, I. P. (2024). Novel Simple Approach for Production of Elastic Poly(propylene carbonate). Polymers, 16(23), 3248. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16233248

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Novel Simple Approach for Production of Elastic Poly(propylene carbonate)

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