SELF-CATALYZED CARBON-DIOXIDE INCORPORATION SYSTEM - THE REACTION OF COPOLYMERS BEARING AN EPOXIDE AND A QUATERNARY AMMONIUM GROUP WITH CARBON-DIOXIDE

Copolymers of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and N-benzyl-N-[2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]-N,N-dimethylammonium bromide (1b) were synthesized by radical copolymerization in acetonitrile using AIBN as an initiator to obtain copolymer-6 (GMA:1b=94:6) and copolymer-10 (GMA:1b=90:10), respectively. When copolymer-6 was reacted with carbon dioxide at 100 degrees C in NMP for 24 h, 86% of the epoxide group was converted to the five-membered cyclic carbonate moiety by self-catalyzation, When the powder of copolymer-6 was exposed to carbon dioxide under an atmospheric pressure at 140 degrees C for 500 min, incorporation of carbon dioxide into copolymer-6 was attained up to 76%. Similarly, incorporation of carbon dioxide into copolymer-10 at 130 degrees C for 500 min in the solid state was attained up to 75%. A cross-linked copolymer, copolymer-5C, was synthesized by radical copolymerization of GMA, 1b, and divinylbenzene (93:5:2) and exposed to carbon dioxide to attain 61% of incorporation at 140 degrees C for 500 min.