Synthesis of activated cyclic carbonate monomers for NIPU synthesis

Non-isocyanates polyurethanes (NIPUs) are an emerging class of polymers developed to replace conventional polyurethanes synthesized from toxic isocyanates. NIPUs are produced via polyaddition reaction of cyclic carbonate and amines, thus reducing the exposure to hazardous chemicals. Despite the safety advantages, NIPU technology faces several challenges, particularly slow reactivity of cyclic carbonate monomers and insufficient polymer properties, which limit its ability to replace conventional PUs. This thesis developed in the framework of the NIPU-EJD project (funded by the European Union; H2020 Grant agreement 955700) is focused on the synthesis of cyclic carbonates monomers with a focus on enhancing their performance under mild conditions. Therefore, additional emphasis was placed over the synthesis of novel unsaturated cyclic carbonates (i.e. exo- and endo-vinylene carbonates), which demonstrated superior reactivity compared to saturated carbonates. Several synthetic strategies were tested to access monomers from bio- and petro-based sources and to implement different reactive groups. Moreover, saturated carbonates activated by urethane-linkages were synthesized and their adhesive properties tested. ... mehrAll the monomers were tested in conversion studies of model aminolysis reaction to evaluate the reactivity of the novel carbonates and, when possible, used for thermoplastic formulations.