Poly (propylene oxide) (PPO) accounts for 5% of polymer production worldwide with 14 million tons produced in 2011. Used commercially as an amorphous component in the synthesis of polyurethane foams, the vast majority of PPO manufactured is low molecular weight and atactic. A wide range of polymer properties can be accessed through control of molecular weight and tacticity. In 2008, our group reported the production of highly isotactic PPO using a bimetallic catalyst which showed excellent selectivity with a wide range of epoxides, but had little control over the molecular weight and dispersity of the polymers. Through combining a new bimetallic catalyst with chain shuttling agents, we have developed a system for the production of isotactic PPO with controlled molecular weight and dispersities.

Controlled synthesis of isotactic poly (propylene oxide) using a bimetallic catalyst and chain shuttling agents

254th National Meeting (2017)

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