Efficient Production of Poly(Cyclohexene Carbonate) via ROCOP of Cyclohexene Oxide and CO(2) Mediated by NNO-Scorpionate Zinc Complexes

New mono- and dinuclear chiral alkoxide/thioalkoxide NNO-scorpinate zinc complexes were easily synthesized in very high yields, and characterized by spectroscopic methods. X-ray diffraction analysis unambiguously confirmed the different nuclearity of the new complexes as well as the variety of coordination modes of the scorpionate ligands. Scorpionate zinc complexes 2, 4 and 6 were assessed as catalysts for polycarbonate production from epoxide and carbon dioxide with no need for a co-catalyst or activator under mild conditions. Interestingly, at 70 °C, 10 bar of CO(2) pressure and 1 mol % of loading, the dinuclear thioaryloxide [Zn(bpzaepe)(2){Zn(SAr)(2)}] (4) behaves as an efficient and selective one-component initiator for the synthesis of poly(cyclohexene carbonate) via ring-opening copolymerization of cyclohexene oxide (CHO) and CO(2), affording polycarbonate materials with narrow dispersity values.