The polymerization reactions of isopropylglycidyl ether (IPGE) were carried out by various catalysts potassium hydroxide, potassium tert-butoxide, tetrafluorophthalate aluminum secbutoxide, tetrafluorophthalate tin tert-butoxide, and tetrafluorophthalate-titanium isopropoxide complexes. Tetrafluorophthalate-aluminum, tin, and titanium have been prepared from aluminum sec-butoxide, tin tert-butoxide, and titanium isopropoxide in alcohol and tetrafluorophthalic acid. Poly-IPGE and catalysts were characterized by 1 H, 13 C NMR, FTIR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and gel permeation chromatography. IPGE is less reactive toward OH À nucleophiles than 3-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane and propylene oxide.Keywords: polymer; catalyst; synthesis; NMR; ring opening
IntroductionRing-opening polymerization of epoxide monomers has been gaining attention in both academic and industrial circles due to its wide range of applications such as production of detergents, nonionic surfactants, washing agents, the heavy metal-free coating, filler, extenders, in drinking water distribution systems, antireflective composition for photoresists, reinforced plastics, adhesives, and polyurethane production process [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Propylene oxide (PO), styrene oxide (SO), 3-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTS), and phenylglycidyl ether (PGE) of cyclic ethers have been polymerized by both anionic and cationic catalysts and also by more selective catalyst system and their products characterized by different spectroscopic techniques [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. As in the mechanism of ring-opening polymerization of PO initiated with porphyrin aluminum chloro complex [9,10], I have recently suggested that the polymerization of GPTS initiated with tetrafluorophthalate zirconium complex proceeds as follows [13].Although there is some spectroscopic evidence ( 1 H NMR) for the formation of polyisopropylglycidyl ether (IPGE) [14][15][16], nothing is known about the effect of different catalysts on the epoxide ring-opening and polymerization degree of IPGE in polymerization reactions. The first purpose was to prepare and use new catalysts in the ring-opening polymerization of IPGE. The second purpose of this study was to synthesize and characterize the polymers of IPGE prepared with various catalysts. The third purpose was to see whether the side isopropoxymethyl group (CH 2 OC 3 H 7 ) of oxirane will affect both the reactivity toward basic catalysts and the regioselectivity and stereoselectivity of polymerization when compared with other groups such as methyl, phenoxymethyl, and trimethoxysilylpropoxymethyl on epoxides.