Fabrication and characterization of the ternary composite catalyst system of ZnGA/RET/DMC for the terpolymerization of CO2, propylene oxide and trimellitic anhydride

To achieve the poly(propylene carbonate trimellitic anhydride) (PPCTMA) with excellent performance, high molecular weight, enhanced yield and good thermal stability, the ternary composite catalyst system of zinc glutarate/rare earth ternary complex/double metal cyanide (ZnGA/RET/DMC) was proposed to perform the terpolymerization of CO2, propylene oxide and trimellitic anhydride. Since the crystallinity and surface activity point of Zn–Co DMC could significantly influence the catalytic ability, mechanical ball milling was applied to increase the surface area of the Zn–Co DMC catalyst with better surface activity point. Moreover, the ZnGA/RET/DMC composite catalytic system and polycarbonate products were comparatively evaluated by XRD, SEM, FT-IR, TGA, NMR, XPS and TEM. Experimental results showed that the ZnGA/RET/DMC composite catalyst system displayed outstanding synergistic effect on the terpolymerization of CO2, PO and TMA with better selectivity, activity, and higher molecular weight (Mw) tercopolymer than those of the individual catalyst. According to optimum reaction conditions, the Mw of PPCTMA could be up to 8.29 × 104 g mol−1, and the yield could be up to 66 gpolym/gcat. The alternating tercopolymer, PPCTMA, showed wonderful thermal stability and high decomposition temperature (TGA10% = 313 °C). A possible synergistic catalytic mechanism of the ZnGA/RET/DMC ternary composite catalyst system was also conjectured.