Synthesis, characterization and hydrolysis of an aliphatic polycarbonate by terpolymerization of carbon dioxide, propylene oxide and maleic anhydride

Terpolymerization of propylene oxide (PO), carbon dioxide (CO2) and maleic anhydride (MA) was carried out by using a polymer-supported bimetallic complex (PBM) as a catalyst. A degradable aliphatic poly(propylene carbonate maleate) (PPCM) was synthesized, and determined by FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, DSC, TGA and WAXD measurements. The influences of various reaction conditions such as molar ratio of the monomers, reaction time and reaction temperature on the terpolymerization progress were investigated. The results showed that MA was inserted into the backbone of CO2–PO successfully. The viscosity, glass transition temperature and decomposition temperature of the terpolymers were much higher than those of poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC). Because of the existence of the MA ester unit, PPCM had stronger degradability than PPC in a pH 7.4 phosphate-buffered solution. MA offered an ester structural unit that gave the terpolymers remarkable degradability. And the degradation rate of the backbone increased with the insertion of MA into the terpolymers.