Functional Polymer Synthesis From CO, CO₂, and Butadiene

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Sustainable Materials Science
• Catalysis

Background:

• Carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) are abundant C1 feedstocks for sustainable polymer synthesis.
• Thermodynamic differences between CO2 and CO hinder their simultaneous incorporation into polymers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel reaction strategy for the selective synthesis of CO/CO2/butadiene terpolymers.
• To create functional polymers with tunable properties from renewable C1 building blocks.

Main Methods:

• Pd-catalyzed telomerization of CO2 with butadiene to form a lactone intermediate.
• Catalytic alternating copolymerization of the intermediate with CO.
• Quantitative reduction of ketone and lactone groups to hydroxyl groups using sodium borohydride (NaBH4).

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized formal CO/CO2/butadiene terpolymers in a 1:1:2 molar ratio.
• Obtained functional polyketones with pendent unsaturated lactone side groups in high yields.
• Developed multi-hydroxy functionalized polymers with strong adhesion (up to 10.13 MPa on wood) and oxidative degradability.

Conclusions:

• The novel strategy enables simultaneous incorporation of CO2 and CO into a single polymer backbone.
• The resulting functional polymers possess desirable adhesive and degradable properties for sustainable applications.
• This work offers a new pathway for valorizing CO2 and CO into high-performance materials.