Study of Preparation and Properties of Stereoregular Poly(cyclohexenylene carbonate)

Fixing carbon dioxide as a polymer material is an effective and environmentally beneficial approach for reducing the harm of CO₂ greenhouse gas. In this paper, carbon dioxide and cyclohexene oxide were used as co-monomers, and a chiral binuclear cobalt complex with a biphenyl linker was employed as the catalyst to successfully prepare a poly(cyclohexenylene carbonate) with high stereoregularity. The influence of catalyst structure, CO₂ pressure, and operating temperature on the copolymerization rate and polymer structure were systematically investigated. Optimal catalyst structure and operating conditions were determined, resulting in an excellent poly(cyclohexenylene carbonate) with a stereoregularity as high as 93.5%. Performance testing revealed that the polyester had a molecular weight of approximately 20 kg/mol, a glass transition temperature of 129.7 °C, an onset decomposition temperature of 290 °C, and a tensile strength of 42.8 MPa. These results demonstrate high thermal stability and mechanical strength, indicating the potential for expanding the applications of aliphatic polycarbonate materials.