The glycolysis reaction of poly(bisphenol
A carbonate) (PC) has
been explored under 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) catalysis
as a potential route to valorize PC wastes by chemical recycling.
The amidine base is an active catalyst of PC glycolysis and, under
suitable conditions, promotes effectively and selectively the depolymerization
of the polymeric material with 1,2-propanediol or glycerol to give
the monomer bisphenol A (BPA) and the relevant cyclic carbonate. The
depolymerization process has been investigated under solventless conditions,
using diol/triol as the reagent and reaction medium, and also in an
auxiliary solvent such as tetrahydrofuran (THF) that is able to dissolve
the polymer. The influence of a few experimental parameters (temperature,
catalyst load, and reaction time) on the selectivity to cyclic carbonate
has been studied. High selectivity to cyclic carbonate has been attained
by carrying out the depolymerization reaction in THF and using mild
temperature conditions and a stoichiometric amount of polyol. The
catalyst can be recovered from the reaction mixture as a BPA/DBU adduct
and effectively recycled in a successive run.
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