Selectively degradable alternating copolymers of isobutyl vinyl ether and plant-derived aldehydes with acyclic side chains: Effects of side group structures on copolymerization behaviors

Abstract

Side group structures of aldehydes were demonstrated to have decisive effects on cationic copolymerizations with alkyl vinyl ether (VE). Alternating copolymerizations of isobutyl VE (IBVE) and plant‐derived aldehydes with acyclic side chains such as trans‐2,cis‐6‐nonadienal, trans‐2‐nonenal, and citral proceeded under appropriate reaction conditions with the EtSO3H/GaCl3 initiating system. In addition, some aldehydes copolymerized in a well‐controlled fashion to yield alternating copolymers with controlled molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions. Quantitative and selective acid hydrolysis of the resulting alternating copolymers, based on the acetal structures in the main chains, was also achieved to give other conjugated aldehydes as nearly sole degradation products. Copolymerization results of IBVE and various plant‐derived aldehydes with acyclic or cyclic side groups suggested that electron‐donating ability and bulkiness of the side groups were most likely responsible for the alternating and/or controlled copolymerization behaviors. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 4684–4693

Design of sec-Benzyl Vinyl Ethers toward the Synthesis of Alternating Copolymers Composed of Vinyl Alcohol and Vinyl Ether Units

“…Vinyl ethers (VEs) have been used as common monomers in cationic or radical (co)­polymerizations for polymer syntheses. − VE undergoes alternating radical copolymerization, with electron-poor comonomers represented by maleic anhydride or maleimide, to afford the alternating copolymers. − However, the sequence-oriented properties cannot be clarified because syntheses of the 1:1 corresponding random copolymers are not straightforward. As for the cationic copolymerization of vinyl ethers, the combination with aldehydes or cyclic acetals could afford the alternating copolymers, − but control of the alternating copolymerization among VEs carrying different pendant groups is inherently impossible.…”