Dr. Jose Ramón Ochoa-Gómez participated in the Global Chemical Engineering and Chemistry Conference Expo, Valencia (Spain), March 25th-26th, 2019, as keynote speaker, Catalyst screening to produce isosorbide bis(methyl carbonate), a green monomer for non-isocyanate polyurethanes and polycarbonates manufacturing.
Polycarbonates (PCs) of glucose-derived isosorbide (ISO) are currently obtained by melt polycondensation of either ISO with diphenyl carbonate or ISO-bis(phenyl carbonate) with polyols. These routes have strong drawbacks such as the high reaction temperature (240 ºC) and the phenol formation which must be recovered for economic feasibility. We have shown that the synthesis of isosorbide PCs is also possible by melt polycondensation of isosorbide bis(methyl carbonate) (IBMC), a barely explored green chemical, and 1,4-butanediol. Likewise, the IBMC double methoxycarbonyl functionality allows its use in manufacturing non-isocyanate polyurethanes by reaction with diamines.
