Alternating Copolymerization of Propylene Oxide/Alkylene Oxide and Carbon Dioxide: Tuning Thermal Properties of Polycarbonates

Abstract The alternating copolymerization of propylene oxide/alkylene oxide and carbon dioxide has been developed with randomly incorporated poly(propylene carbonate) and poly(alkylene carbonate) units. The ratio-controlled incorporation of the poly(alkylene carbonate) units could improve the thermal properties, such as the glass-transition temperature and thermal degradation temperature, of the obtained polycarbonates.