Designable Optical Polyesters <italic style="font-style: italic">via</italic> Alternating Copolymerization of Benzaldehyde-derived Cyclic Carbonates and Phthalic Anhydride

Xue-Lin Song; Shun-Jie Liu; Xian-Hong Wang

doi:10.1007/s10118-026-3630-9

Your Location：

Home >

Browse articles >

Designable Optical Polyesters via Alternating Copolymerization of Benzaldehyde-derived Cyclic Carbonates and Phthalic Anhydride

RESEARCH ARTICLE | Updated：2026-04-16

- Designable Optical Polyesters via Alternating Copolymerization of Benzaldehyde-derived Cyclic Carbonates and Phthalic Anhydride
- Chinese Journal of Polymer Science Vol. 44, Pages: 1-8(2026)
- Affiliations：
  
  a.State Key Laboratory of Polymer Science and Technology, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China
  b.School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
- Author bio：
  
  sjliu@ciac.ac.cn (S.J.L.)
  xhwang@ciac.ac.cn (X.H.W.)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1007/s10118-026-3630-9
  CLC：
- Received：22 January 2026，
  
  Revised：2026-02-15，
  
  Accepted：21 February 2026，
  
  Online First：16 April 2026，
  
  Published：2026-03
- Accepted：
Scan QR Code
Song, X. L.; Liu, S. J.; Wang, X. H. Designable optical polyesters via alternating copolymerization of benzaldehyde-derived cyclic carbonates and phthalic anhydride. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10118-026-3630-9

Xue-Lin Song, Shun-Jie Liu, Xian-Hong Wang. Designable Optical Polyesters via Alternating Copolymerization of Benzaldehyde-derived Cyclic Carbonates and Phthalic Anhydride[J/OL]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 441-8.
Song, X. L.; Liu, S. J.; Wang, X. H. Designable optical polyesters via alternating copolymerization of benzaldehyde-derived cyclic carbonates and phthalic anhydride. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10118-026-3630-9 DOI：

Xue-Lin Song, Shun-Jie Liu, Xian-Hong Wang. Designable Optical Polyesters via Alternating Copolymerization of Benzaldehyde-derived Cyclic Carbonates and Phthalic Anhydride[J/OL]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 441-8. DOI： 10.1007/s10118-026-3630-9.

摘要

Abstract

We report a platform-based approach for designing of aromatic polyesters with customizable optical properties. By employing a series of benzaldehyde-derived cyclic carbonate monomers

we performed ring-opening alternating copolymerization with phthalic anhydride to yield structurally regular polyesters featuring diverse substituents. All monomers underwent smooth copolymerization

producing polymers with controlled molecular weights (

=21–45 kDa) and narrow dispersity (

=1.04–1.28). Thermal analysis revealed decomposition temperatures above 280 °C and glass transition temperatures exceeding 90 °C

ensuring robust thermal stability. The resulting polyesters showed excellent visible-light transparency

with transmittance greater than 92% between 400–600 nm. Systematic modification of aromatic substituents enabled continuous tuning of refractive indices from 1.563 to 1.622

alongside Abbe numbers ranging from 30.9 to 45.1

highlighting the significant impact of electronic polarizability on optical performance. This work establishes a unified molecular design platform for crea

ting high-performance optical polyesters with predictable and tunable refractive and dispersive properties.

关键词

Keywords

references

Kumar, R.; Kumar, N.; Chandel, S.; Tiwari, A.; Bag, A.; Ghorai, P. K.; Ghosh, N.; Shunmugam, R. Functional polymer material with efficient optical tunability. ChemistrySelect 2023 , 8 , e202302213..

Wang, M. Y.; Zhang, Y.; Wang, D.; Yao, M.; Wang, Y. X.; Zhou, X. P.; Peng, H. Y.; Xie, X. L. Holographic polymer nanocomposites with high refractive index modulation by doping liquid crystal E6M. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2024 , 42 , 926−935..

Badur, T.; Dams, C.; Hampp, N. High refractive index polymers by design. Macromolecules 2018 , 51 , 4220−4228..

Mazumder, K.; Voit, B.; Banerjee, S. Recent Progress in sulfur-containing high refractive index polymers for optical applications. ACS Omega 2024 , 9 , 6253−6279..

Higashihara, T.; Ueda, M. Recent progress in high refractive index polymers. Macromolecules 2015 , 48 , 1915−1929..

Luo, M.; Zhang, X. H.; Du, B. Y.; Wang, Q.; Fan, Z. Q. Well-defined high refractive index poly(monothiocarbonate) with tunable abbe's numbers and glass-transition temperatures terpolymerization. Polym. Chem. 2015 , 6 , 4978−4983..

Zhou, Y. T.; Zhu, Z. C.; Zhang, K.; Yang, B. Molecular Structure and Properties of sulfur-containing high refractive index polymer optical materials. Macromol. Rapid Commun. 2023 , 44 , 2300411..

Zhao, Y. H.; Zhang, J.; Zhang, Y. X.; Cui, L.; Chi, Y.; Jian, Z. B. Advances in high refractive index cycloolefin-containing polymeric materials. Macromolecules 2025 , 58 , 10949−10962..

Zhang, J.; Bai, T. W.; Liu, W. X.; Li, M. Z.; Zang, Q. G.; Ye, C.; Sun, J. Z.; Shi, Y. C.; Ling, J.; Qin, A.; Tang, B. Z. All-organic polymeric materials with high refractive index and excellent transparency. Nat. Commun. 2023 , 14 , 3524..

Li, Q. L.; Liu, S. X.; Xu, M. F.; Pan, X. Q.; Li, N.; Zhu, J.; Zhu, X. L. Selenide-containing soluble polyimides: high refractive index and redox responsiveness. Eur. Polym. J. 2020 , 122 , 109358..

Sato, Y.; Sobu, S.; Nakabayashi, K.; Samitsu, S.; Mori, H. Highly transparent benzothiazole-based block and random copolymers with high refractive indices by RAFT polymerization. ACS Appl. Polym. Mater. 2020 , 2 , 3205−3214..

Yue, T. J.; Ren, B. H.; Zhang, W. J.; Lu, X. B.; Ren, W. M.; Darensbourg, D. J. Randomly distributed sulfur atoms in the main chains of CO 2 -based polycarbonates: enhanced optical properties. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021 , 60 , 4315−4321..

Mavila, S.; Sinha, J.; Hu, Y. F.; Podgórski, M.; Shah, P. K.; Bowman, C. N. High refractive index photopolymers by thiol-yne "click" polymerization. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2021 , 13 , 15647−15658..

Zhang, C. J.; Hu, L. F.; Yang, J. L.; Cao, X. H.; Zhang, X. H. Alternating copolymerization of γ -selenobutyrolactone with episulfides for high refractive index selenium-containing polythioesters. Eur. Polym. J. 2020 , 133 , 109776..

Huo, N.; Rivkin, J.; Jia, R. B.; Zhao, Y. E.; Tenhaeff, W. E. Synthesis of high refractive index polymer thin films for soft, flexible optics through halomethane quaternization of poly(4-vinylpyridine). Adv. Opt. Mater. 2024 , 12 , 2302201..

Ryu, D.; Lee, M.; Sohn, H.; You, N. H. Synthesis and characterization of aromatic poly(phosphonate)s, poly(thiophosphonate)s, and poly(selenophosphonate)s for high refractive index. Macromol. Res. 2023 , 31 , 583−592..

You, H.; Wang, E. H.; Cao, H.; Zhuo, C. W.; Liu, S. J.; Wang, X. H.; Wang, F. S. From impossible to possible: atom-economic polymerization of low strain five-membered carbonates. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2022 , 61 , e202113152..

You, H.; Yan, S.; Song, X. L.; Zhuo, C. W.; Liu, S. J.; Wang, X. H. Precise construction of polyeste r polyol from organocatalysis: epoxide slow-release and capture strategy. Acta Polymerica Sinica (in Chinese) 2023 , 54 , 327−335..

Kuang, Q. X.; Liu, S. J.; Liao, C.; Yang, L. H.; Cao, H.; Zhuo, C. W.; Pang, X.; Chen, X. S.; Wang, X. H. Swellable supported catalyst enables repeatable coupling of CO 2 and epoxides. Sci. China Chem. 2025 , 68 , 6551−6563..

Watanabe,S.; Cavinato, L. M.; Calvi, V.; van Rijn, R.; Costa, R. D.; Oyaizu, K. Polarizable H-bond concept in aromatic poly(thiourea)s: unprecedented high refractive index, transmittance, and degradability at force to enhance lighting efficiency. Adv. Funct. Mater. 2024 , 34 , 2404433..

Wang, Y. C.; Li, M. S.; Wang, S. X.; Tao, Y. H.; Wang, X. H. S-carboxyanhydrides: ultrafast and selective ring-opening polymerizations towards well-defined functionalized polythioesters. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021 , 60 , 10798−10805..

[Zhang, K.; Ren, B. H.; Liu, X. F.; Wang, L. L.; Zhang, M.; Ren, W. M.; Lu, X. B.; Zhang, W. Z. Direct and selective electrocarboxylation of styrene oxides with CO 2 for accessing -hydroxy acids. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed . 2022 , 6 1, e202207660..

Peña-López, M.; Neumann, H.; Beller, M. Iron-catalyzed synthesis of five-membered cyclic carbonates from vicinal diols: urea as sustainable carbonylation agent. Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2016 , 2016 , 3721−3727..

Honda, M.; Tamura, M.; Nakao, K.; Suzuki, K.; Nakagawa, Y.; Tomishige, K. Direct cyclic carbonate synthesis from CO 2 and diol over carboxylation/hydration cascade catalyst of CeO with 2-cyanopyridine. ACS Catal. 2014 , 4 , 1893−1896..

Abassian, M.; Zhiani, R.; Motavalizadehkakhky, A.; Eshghi, H.; Mehrzad, J. A new class of organoplatinum-based DFNS for the production of cyclic carbonates from olefins and CO 2 . RSC Adv. 2020 , 10 , 15044−15051..

Cheng, T. Y.; Wang, H. D.; Ding, J. Q.; Fang, J. G.; Wang, J.; Li, M. Z.; Chen, J.; Qin, A. J.; Tang, B. Z. Catalyst-free multicomponent polymerization of aldehydes, amines and trimethylsilyl cyanide toward poly( α -aminonitrile)s. Polym. Chem. 2024 , 15 , 2287−2295..

Li, H. B.; Fu, J.; Deng, F. Y.; Gui, Q.; Zhang, H. L. Efficient synthesis of high refractive index polymers containing diphenyl sulfone moieties with high optical transmittance and tunable Abbe number via free radical polymerization. Eur. Polym. J. 2026 , 242 , 114416..

Li, W. Z.; Ding, Y. L.; Gao, H.; Pan, L.; Li, Y. S. Design and synthesis of colorless cyclic olefin polymers with high refractive index, transparency, and thermal stability. Macromolecules 2025 , 58 , 9459−9468..

Zhang, X. Y.; Jones, G. O.; Hedrick, J. L.; Waymouth, R. M. Fast and selective ring-opening polymerizations by alkoxides and thioureas. Nat. Chem. 2016 , 8 , 1047−1053..

Liu, K. G.; Liu, S. J.; Fan, P. X.; Zhang, R. Y.; Chen, X. S.; Wang, X. H. Bifunctional porphyrin aluminum catalyzed copolymerization of carbon dioxide and long chain terminal epoxide. Acta Polymerica Sinica (in Chinese) 2025 , 56 , 242−252..

Fan, P. X.; Liu, S. J.; Zhang, R. Y.; Yang, L. H.; Gao, F. X.; Chen, X. S.; Wang, X. H. Flexible tethered binuclear porphyrin aluminum for the copolymerization of CO 2 and epoxide. Acta Polymerica Sinica (in Chinese) 2025 , 56 , 47−57..

Ota, I.; Suzuki, R.; Mizukami, Y.; Xia, X. C.; Tajima, K.; Yamamoto, T.; Li, F.; Isono, T.; Satoh, T. Organobase-catalyzed ring-opening copolymerization of cyclic anhydrides and oxetanes: establishment and application in block copolymer synthesis. Macromolecules 2024 , 57 , 3741−3750..

Tang, L.; Navarro, L. A.; Chilkoti, A.; Zauscher, S. High-molecular-weight polynucleotides by transferase-catalyzed living chain-growth polycondensation. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2017 , 56 , 6778−6782..

Zhou, H.; Liu, S. J.; Chen, P.; Cao, H.; Zhuo, C. W.; Wang, X. H. Photothermal polymerization of epoxides and carbon dioxide catalyzed by polymeric aluminum porphyrin. Acta Polymerica Sinica (in Chinese) 2025 , 56 , 1954−1964..

Li, H.; Luo, H. T.; Zhao, J. P.; Zhang, G. Z. Well-defined and structurally diverse aromatic alternating polyesters synthesized by simple phosphazene catalysis. Macromolecules 2018 , 51 , 2247−2257..

Clamor, C.; Beament, J.; Wright, P. M.; Cattoz, B. N.; O'Reilly, R. K.; Dove, A. P. Ring-opening polymerisation of alkyl-substituted ε -caprolactones: kinetic effects of substitution position. Polym. Chem. 2024 , 15 , 1227−1233..

Jiang, L. H.; Wu, Y.; Tian, X.; Xue, W. P.; Li, H. H.; Kang, X. H.; Li, B. Mechanistic Insights into the effects of ureas and monomers on the ring-opening alternating copolymerization of epoxides and anhydrides catalyzed by organic base/urea. Polymers 2024 , 16 , 978..

Min, J. K.; Jung, Y.; Ahn, J.; Lee, J. G.; Lee, J.; Ko, S. H. Recent advances in biodegradable green electronic materials and sensor applications. Adv. Mater. 2023 , 35 , 2211273..

Rosal, I.; Brignou, P.; Guillaume, S. M.; Carpentier, J. F.; Maron, L. DFT investigations on the ring-opening polymerization of substituted cyclic carbonates catalyzed by zinc-{ β -diketiminate} complexes. Polym. Chem. 2015 , 6 , 3336−3352..

Wang, J. Q.; Zhu, Y. N.; Li, M. S.; Wang, Y. C.; Wang, X. H.; Tao, Y. H. Tug-of-war between two distinct catalytic sites enables fast and selective ring-opening copolymerizations. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2022 , 61 , e202208525..

Skupin, R.; Haufe, G. Regioselectivity of the ring opening of propene oxides bearing electron-withdrawing substituents at the methyl group with Olah's reagent. J. Fluorine Chem. 1998 , 92 , 157−165..

Liu, J. X.; Wu, Z. H.; Wang, J.; Wang, Z. P.; Sun, Y. L.; Zhang, Q. Q.; Nie, H. R.; Zhao, R. Y.; Guo, Z. W. High refractive index and excellent transparent polyarylates containing pendant groups and thiophene. ACS Appl. Polym. Mater. 2025 , 7 , 3904−3912..

You, N. H.; Higashihara, T.; Yasuo, S.; Ando, S.; Ueda, M. Synthesis of sulfur-containing poly(thioester)s with high refractive indices and high abbe numbers. Polym. Chem. 2010 , 1 , 480−484..

Hougham, G.; Tesoro, G.; Viehbeck, A. Influence of free volume change on the relative permittivity and refractive index in fluoropolyimides. Macromolecules 1996 , 29 , 3453−3456..

Views

Downloads

CSCD

Alert me when the article has been cited

Submit

Tools

Publicity Resources

Poly(hydroxy urethane-siloxane) Pressure-sensitive Adhesive: Synthesis, Characterization and Its Usage for Skin-contact Sensors

SPECTRAL AND CHEMICAL MONITORING OF CYCLO-ADDITION REACTION OF CO₂ WITH POLY(MMA-co-GMA) COPOLYMERS

Effect of Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) Functionalization on Dispersion, Mechanical, and Corrosion Properties of CNT/Epoxy Nanocomposites

Polymerizing Ladder-Type Heteroheptacene-Cored Small-Molecule Acceptors for Efficient All-Polymer Solar Cells

Enhanced Adhesion Properties of Polymer-Metal Interfaces via Nano-injection Molding: A Study on Molecular Kinematic Mechanisms

Related Author

Xiang-Zheng Kong

Sheng-Yu Feng

Xiao-Li Zhu

Xu-Bao Jiang

Chuan-Yong Zong

Shu-Sheng Li

Ling-Yi Li

Chao Xie

Related Institution

College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan

School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology

National Engineering Research Center for Colloidal Materials & Key Laboratory of Special Functional Aggregated Materials, Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University

Iran Polymer and Petrochemical Institute (IPPI), P.O. Box 14965-115, Tehran

⁰

Designable Optical Polyesters via Alternating Copolymerization of Benzaldehyde-derived Cyclic Carbonates and Phthalic Anhydride

DOI：10.1007/s10118-026-3630-9

摘要

Abstract

关键词

Keywords

references