Royal Society of Chemistry, RSC Advances, 5(5), p. 3454-3460, 2015
DOI: 10.1039/c4ra14319a
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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 oC 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 major product. The purification procedure to isolate the urea derivatives in presence of Bisphenol-A has been tuned to avoid chromatographic procedures. This environmentally friendly method provides i) alternative for recycling BPA from polycarbonate, ii) obtaining useful product like urea derivatives, iii) scope for new carbonylating agent in organic synthesis iv) amine functionalized polycarbonate surface.