PREPARATION OF FUNCTIONALIZED POLYCARBONATES VIA RING-OPENING POLYMERIZATION OF DIVERSE MIXED OLIGOMERIC CYCLIC CARBONATES

The preparation and polymerization of a variety of cyclic oligomeric carbonates containing diverse functionality is described. The preparation of bisphenols containing ether, amide, ester, urethane; etherketone, or ethersulfone functionalities is described. The functionalized bisphenols were converted to dichloroformates via phosgenation, and were subjected to cyclization reactions, forming cyclic oligomeric carbonates containing various functionality. Anionic, ring-opening polymerization of the cyclic oligomers leads to high molecular weight polymers containing carbonate and other functionality. Depending on the nature of the functionalized bisphenol starting material, the product polymers may be alternating, block, or random copolymers.