US Patent 7851583 Process and activated carbon catalyst for ring-opening polymerization

An oxirane compound of following Formula (1), such as glycidol, is reacted in the presence of a powdered activated carbon, where necessary, with an initiator such as a polyhydric alcohol, an aliphatic alcohol, or an aliphatic carboxylic acid, to yield, for example, a polyglycidol, a polyglycidol alkyl ether, or a polyglycidol alkyl ester.