Direct synthesis of aromatic polycarbonate from polymerization of bisphenol A with CO using a Pd-Cu catalyst system

Direct polymerization of bisphenol A with CO was carried out using a Pd-Cu-based redox catalyst system. A base for activating the hydroxy group of bisphenol A and a dehydrating agent for removing the water produced during the reaction were other important components of the catalyst system. Synthesized polycarbonate was characterized using IR, NMR, and GPC. MALDI-TOF mass spectroscopy was used for understanding the structure of polymer chain end groups. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.