（1.Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China) （2.School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China)
The copolymerization of carbon dioxide and epoxides affords CO2 copolymers, which can be escalated to commodity new materials like biodegradable plastics or polyurethane elastomers, constituting a significant advance of green polymer chemistry and chemical engineering. The CO2 copolymers research is a frontier hotspot in the polymer field fulfilling the national initiative of carbon neutrality. Among all CO2 copolymers, poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC), a copolymer from carbon dioxide and propylene oxide, is receiving most concerns both from academic and industry. Based on the recent progress in our group as well as in worldwide CO2 copolymer research community, this review summarizes the synthesis, material properties and industrialization of PPC, highlights the widespread applications of PPC in the fields of low-cost biodegradable plastics and sustainable polyurethanes. Finally, a perspective on new materials based on CO2 copolymer is addressed.