Direct extraction of carbonyl from waste polycarbonate with amines under environmentally friendly conditions: scope of waste polycarbonate as a carbonylating agent in organic synthesis?

RSC Advances Pub Date: 2014-12-05 DOI: 10.1039/C4RA14319A

Abstract

An efficient green method for converting waste polycarbonate into urea derivatives by reacting with primary amines has been developed. Simple treatment of polycarbonate plastic with primary amines in a closed vial at 80 °C without using any catalyst and toxic solvents made this process environmentally friendly. Digestion of the waste polycarbonate obtained from CDs and DVDs with amines affords functionalized urea and 4,4′-(propane-2,2-diyl)diphenol (BPA, bisphenol-A). The procedure is optimized to get maximum conversion of polymer to urea and its derivatives as a major product. The purification procedure to isolate the urea derivatives in the presence of bisphenol-A has been tuned to avoid chromatographic procedures. This environmentally friendly method provides (i) an alternative for recycling BPA from polycarbonate, (ii) a method of obtaining useful product like urea derivatives, (iii) scope for new carbonylating agents in organic synthesis, (iv) an amine functionalized polycarbonate surface.

Graphical abstract: Direct extraction of carbonyl from waste polycarbonate with amines under environmentally friendly conditions: scope of waste polycarbonate as a carbonylating agent in organic synthesis
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