Trimethylene carbonate

Trimethylene carbonate

Names
IUPAC name 1,3-Dioxan-2-one
Identifiers
CAS Number	2453-03-4
ChemSpider	110377
Jmol interactive 3D	Image
PubChem	123834
InChI InChI=1S/C4H6O3/c5-4-6-2-1-3-7-4/h1-3H2 Key: YFHICDDUDORKJB-UHFFFAOYSA-N InChI=1/C4H6O3/c5-4-6-2-1-3-7-4/h1-3H2 Key: YFHICDDUDORKJB-UHFFFAOYAZ
SMILES O=C1OCCCO1
Properties
Chemical formula	C4H6O3
Molar mass	102.09 g·mol^−1
Appearance	white solid
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
Infobox references

Trimethylene carbonate or 1,3-propylene carbonate is a 6-membered cyclic carbonate ester. It is a colourless solid that upon heating converts to the polytrimethyl carbonate. Such polymers are of interest for biomedical applications. An isomeric derivative is propylene carbonate, a colourless liquid that does not spontaneously polymerize.

Preparation

This compound may be prepared from 1,3-propanediol and ethyl chloroformate (a phosgene substitute), or from oxetane and carbon dioxide with an appropriate catalyst:^[1]

HOC₃H₆OH + ClCO₂C₂H₅ → C₃H₆O₂CO + C₂H₅OH + HCl

C₃H₆O + CO₂ → C₃H₆O₂CO

This cyclic carbonate undergoes ring-opening polymerization to give poly(trimethylene carbonate), abbreviated PTC.^[1] The polymer PTC is of commercial interest as a biodegradable polymer with biomedical applications.^[2]

References

1. Pyo, Sang-Hyun; Persson, Per; Mollaahmad, M. Amin; Sörensen, Kent; Lundmark, Stefan; Hatti-Kaul, Rajni (2012). "Cyclic carbonates as monomers for phosgene- and isocyanate-free polyurethanes and polycarbonates". Pure Appl. Chem. 84 (3): 637. doi:10.1351/PAC-CON-11-06-14.
2. Engelberg, Israel; Kohn, Joachim (1991). "Physicomechanical properties of degradable polymers used in medical applications: a comparative study". Biomaterials 12 (3): 292–304. doi:10.1016/0142-9612(91)90037-B.