Eugenio Quaranta

Prof. Eugenio Quaranta

Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi “Aldo Moro” di Bari, Campus Universitario, Via E. Orabona 4, 70126 Bari, Italy

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

40Years (1987-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

View All Publications

18 October 2017 in Green Chemistry
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
PDF file
EQEugenio Quaranta
Eugenio Quaranta
DSDamiano Sgherza
Damiano Sgherza
Giuseppe TartaroGiuseppe Tartaro
Giuseppe Tartaro
DBU (1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene) is an active catalyst of poly(bisphenol A carbonate) (PC) alcoholysis and promotes selectively and quantitatively the solvent-free (no auxiliary solvent used) depolymerization of the polymeric material to bisphenol A (BPA) and the corresponding organic carbonate (RO)2CO under not severe conditions (295 K–373 K). The process is relevant to the chemical recycling and valorization of the waste polymer. Using methanol as the reference alcohol, the influence of a few experimental parameters (temperature, MeOH/PC ratio, DBU load and concentration) on the conversion time and product (BPA; dimethyl carbonate (DMC)) yield has been investigated. The catalytic activity of DBU has been compared with that of other organocatalysts such as DABCO (1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane) and DMAP (4-(dimethylamino)pyridine), which were found to be less active than the amidine base. The study has been extended to ethanol and EtOH/MeOH mixtures. The ethanolysis reaction afforded BPA and diethyl carbonate (DEC) selectively with high yield, but proceeded more slowly than methanolysis. In MeOH/EtOH solutions the depolymerization afforded, besides BPA, a mixture of DMC, DEC, and methyl ethyl carbonate (MEC): in this way, a mixed carbonate such as MEC was synthesized in one step with satisfactory yields (60%). The recyclability of the catalyst in the depolymerization process has been investigated. At the end of the reaction the catalyst was still active. It can be reused in situ by adding a more fresh polymer at the end of each catalytic run. As well, DBU can also be recovered from the reaction mixture as a DBU–BPA adduct and effectively reused in a successive run.

1 January 2016
Verified
Book
Closed access
Michele ArestaMichele Aresta
Michele Aresta
Angela DibenedettoAngela Dibenedetto
Angela Dibenedetto
EQEugenio Quaranta
Eugenio Quaranta

1 August 1987 in Journal of Molecular Catalysis
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
Michele ArestaMichele Aresta
Michele Aresta
EQEugenio Quaranta
Eugenio Quaranta
ACA. Ciccarese
A. Ciccarese

1 January 1996 in Inorganic Chemistry
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
MAMichele Aresta
Michele Aresta
ITImmacolata Tommasi
Immacolata Tommasi
EQEugenio Quaranta
Eugenio Quaranta
CFCarlo Fragale
Carlo Fragale
JMJoëlle Mascetti
Joëlle Mascetti
MFMonique Fouassier
Monique Fouassier