Copolymerization of Ethyl Glycidate with Cyclic Ethers by Organometallic Initiators

Abstract

Ethyl glycidate (EG) was copolymerized with propylene oxide (PO), 1-butene oxide (BO), and oxetane by organoaluminum initiators to produce high molecular weight polyethers with pendant ester groups. The ternary initiator system A1Et3/H20/AcAc (1/0.3/0.5) gave the best results with PO and BO, yielding polymers of 'tinh 0.6-4.3 dL/g containing up to 4 mol % of EG units. EG was relatively unreactive in these copolymerizations; the concentration of EG in the copolymer was always significantly less than that in the feed, and increased EG feed concentrations depressed both the rate of polymerization and the product molecular weight. Oxetane copolymers containing ca. 1 mol % of EG units were obtained with vinh 0.7-1.0 dL/g, along with oligomeric products, using a similar initiator system. Conversion of these polyethers into novel ionomers was demonstrated: treatment of the ester with NaOH gave the polymeric sodium salt, which was further converted to the free acid by reaction with glacial acetic acid in dioxane.

Effect of temperature and span series surfactant on the structure of polysulfone membranes

“…Copolymers of EG with propylene oxide, 1‐butene oxide, epichlorohydrin, isobutylene oxide, and oxetane were prepared. Copolymerization of EG with tetrahydrofuran (THF) gave low‐molecular‐weight copolymers with a EG:THF ratio of 1:2 83…”

Poly(alkylene Oxide) Ionomers: Synthesis and Brief Characterizations

“…The first "functional" polyethers were based on copolymers of ethyl glycidate with trioxane (polyoxymethylenes) (13,14) or epoxides (15).…”