Ring-Closing Depolymerization: A Powerful Tool for
Synthesizing the Allyloxy-Functionalized Six-Membered Aliphatic Carbonate
Monomer 2‑Allyloxymethyl-2-ethyltrimethylene Carbonate
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Abstract
Ring-closing depolymerization is
demonstrated to be a powerful
synthetic methodology for the formation of six-membered functional
aliphatic carbonate monomers, providing a rapid, straightforward,
inexpensive, and green route for obtaining six-membered functional
aliphatic carbonate monomers at a scale greater than 100 g. The utility
of this technique was observed via the synthesis of the allyloxy-functionalized
six-membered cyclic carbonate monomer 2-allyloxymethyl-2-ethyltrimethylene
carbonate (AOMEC). The synthesis was performed in a one-pot bulk reaction,
starting from trimethylolpropane allyl ether, diethyl carbonate, and
NaH, resulting in a final AOMEC yield of 63%. The synthetic methodology
is based upon the reversible nature of this class of polymers. The
anionic environment produced by NaH was observed to be sufficient
to mediate the monomer equilibrium concentration; thus, an additional
catalyst is not required to induce depolymerization. 1,5,7-Triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene
(TBD) was demonstrated to be a very active catalyst for the ring-opening
polymerization (ROP) of AOMEC, resulting in a rapid (<i>k</i><sub>p</sub><sup>app</sup> = 28.2 s<sup>–1</sup>) and controlled
polymerization with a low dispersity (<i><i>Đ</i></i> = 1.2). The availability and activity of the functionality
of poly(AOMEC)s were established through subsequent postpolymerization
functionalization via the UV-initiated thiol–ene chemistry
of poly(AOMEC) with 1-dodecanethiol and benzophenone as a radical
initiator. The functionalization proceeded with high control and with
a linear relation between the molecular weight and conversion of the
unsaturation, revealing the high orthogonality of the reaction and
the stability of the carbonate backbone. Hence, as a synthetic methodology,
depolymerization provides a straightforward and simple approach for
the synthesis of the highly versatile functional carbonate AOMEC.
In addition, formation of the monomer does not require any solvents,
reactive ring-closing reagents, or transition-metal-based depolymerization
catalysts, thereby providing a “greener” route for obtaining
functional carbonate monomers and polymers