Method for fabricating a high-activity double-metal-cyanide catalyst

Abstract

A high-activity double-metal-cyanide catalyst, a method for fabricating the same, and applications of the same are disclosed. An organic complexing ligand, which is formed via mixing fatty alcohols and alicyclic carbonates, is used to generate a high-activity double-metal-cyanide catalyst. The high-activity double-metal-cyanide catalyst includes at least one double-metal-cyanide compound, at least one organic complexing ligand, and an optional functionalized polymer. The double-metal-cyanide catalyst of the present invention has a higher activity than the conventional double-metal-cyanide catalysts. The polyols generated by the present invention has an insignificant amount of high-molecular-weight compounds.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for fabricating a high-activity double-metal-cyanide catalyst comprising at least one double-metal-cyanide compound and at least one organic complexing ligand including a fatty alcohol containing 2-7 carbon atoms and an alicyclic carbonate, wherein a concentration of said fatty alcohol in said organic complexing ligand is 2-98 mole %, and wherein said alicyclic carbonate has a structural formula expressed by Equation (I): 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein R and R′ are identical or different, and wherein each of R and R′ is selected from a group including hydrogen atoms, saturated alkyl groups each containing 1-20 carbon atoms, cyclic alkyl groups, hydroxyl groups, vinyl groups, and phenyl groups, which comprises steps: 
         mixing two metal precursor solutions to react in the presence of said organic complexing ligand to generate a resultant solution, wherein at least one of said two metal precursor solutions contains a cyanide ligand; 
         flushing and filtering said resultant solution; and 
         separating said high-activity double-metal-cyanide catalyst from said resultant solution. 
       
     
     
         2 . The method for fabricating a high-activity double-metal-cyanide catalyst according to  claim 1 , wherein said organic complexing ligand exists in at least one of said two metal precursor solutions and mixes with a metal precursor; alternatively, said organic complexing ligand is added to said resultant solution immediately after said two metal precursor solutions are mixed. 
     
     
         3 . The method for fabricating a high-activity double-metal-cyanide catalyst according to  claim 2 , wherein at least one functionalized polymer or a water-soluble salt of said functionalized polymer is mixed with said two metal precursor solutions to react in the presence of said organic complexing ligand to generate a resultant solution. 
     
     
         4 . The method for fabricating a high-activity double-metal-cyanide catalyst according to  claim 2 , wherein said two metal precursor solutions are mixed to react in an aqueous solution system, and wherein said aqueous system is at a temperature of 10-80° C.