Zinc acetate complexes with 3-amino-2-cyano-imidoacrylate ligands exhibit high activities and selectivities in the copolymerisation of carbon dioxide and cyclohexene oxide to give aliphatic polycarbonates. In temperature optimisation experiments, temperatures around 90 degrees C were found to be ideal combining minimal formation of the cyclic carbonate side product with optimal catalytic activity. The living character of the polymerisation was shown by studying molecular weights of the polycarbonates at different levels of monomer conversion. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.