Organometallic Chemistry of Carbon Dioxide: Copolymerization of CO2 and Epoxides

该奖项由德州农工大学化学系Donald Darensbourg教授颁发，授予无机、生物无机和有机金属化学项目，支持从二氧化碳和环氧化物中生产聚碳酸酯的基质/催化剂系统的开发研究。以环氧环己烯为底物的锌苯氧化物催化剂的详细作用机理将被确定并用于设计新的催化剂。强调锌钴或铁双金属氰化物的使用。这项研究的目标是开发新的和有效的催化剂，可以从二氧化碳和现成的环氧乙烷和环氧丙烷中生产聚碳酸酯，这是一种重要的商业聚合物。这些催化剂将允许直接利用温室气体二氧化碳，并取代目前基于光气的技术。光气是剧毒的，这个过程会更加环保。许多不同的学生，包括研究生和本科生，将接受工业和学术生涯的广泛培训。

This award in the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry program supports research on the development of substrate/catalyst systems for the production of polycarbonates from carbon dioxide and epoxides, by Professor Donald Darensbourg of the Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University. The detailed mechanism of action of previously-developed zinc phenoxide catalysts using cyclohexene oxide as the substrate will be determined and used to design new catalysts. The use of double metal cyanides of zinc and cobalt or iron will be emphasized.The goal of this research is to develop new and effective catalysts which can produce polycarbonates, a commercially important class of polymers, from carbon dioxide and readily available ethylene and propylene oxides. These catalysts will permit the direct utilization of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide as well as replacement of the current phosgene-based technology. Phosgene is highly toxic, and this process will be more environmentally friendly. A number of diverse students, both graduate and undergraduate, will receive broad training for both industrial and academic careers.