One-Step Synthesis of Polyurea from CO₂ under Mild Pressure and Temperature

Direct conversion of CO 2 to polymers, such as polyurea, is an effective approach for CO 2 capture and utilization. However, traditional methods involving CO 2 and diamine polymerization require high pressures and temperatures (>5 MPa, ∼180 °C) and result in low molecular weight polyurea. A method has been developed to synthesize polyurea directly from CO 2 at mild temperature and pressure (0.1–0.5 MPa, 15–90 °C) in a one-step reaction using organic superbases as both catalysts and dehydrants with the formation of DBU-H 2 O. This process allows for fast polymerization (10–30 min) and yields high molecular weight polyurea (>10 6 g/mol). The tensile strength of the as-prepared polyurea film reaches 13.5 MPa, which indicates excellent mechanical properties.