Base-catalyzed intramolecular nucleophilic substitution of various dianhydrosorbitol derivatives (2,4, or 6) led to formation of trianhydromannitol(7), a tricyclic system of three interlinked oxolane rings. By treatment with trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, ring-opening reactions were achievedto give oligomeric soluble material with a number-average degree of polymerization DP, = 5 -10. Molecular weights were determined by GPC, and by desorptive chemical ionization (DCI) with ammonia a molecular weight assignment gave information on the degree of crosslinking. A complex but consistent picture allows to explain the propagation reactions of protonated trianhydromannitols 8 and 9, and further reactions of the protonated intermediates 13-15 to result in crosslinked products 16 and 17. By semiempirical quantum chemical calculations, geometries, energies and charge distributions of 7 as well as its protonated species were obtained. This allowed comparisons with their chemical reactivity and ring-opening specificity.Syntheses of monomeric compounds were followed by TLC on silica gel foils GF,,, (Merck). Detection was done by UV and/or spraying with 10% ethanolic sulfuric acid with subsequent heating to about 300°C. For column chromatography silica gel 60 (70-230 mesh, Merck) was used, and 'H NMR (300 MHz) and I3C NMR (75,46 MHz) were elaborated on a Bruker spectrometer WM 300.The number-average molecular weight D,, was determined using a Knauer vapor pressure osmometer. Selective polymer fraction_s of poly(oxy-2,3-diethoxytetramethylene) were isolated and cleaned by GPC and their exact M,, measured by vapor pressure osmometry. These values served as a basis for the calibration curve which was used to establish the weight-average molecular weight a, by GPC. GPC was performed using the combined instruments: pump (Knauer, analytical), differential refractometer type 98,00 (Knauer), integrator (Spectra-Physics). The molecular weights were determined by use of the Winner system and the GPC software (Spectra-Physics) on a XT-PC (Epson).For mass spectra and GC/MS measurements the equipment CH-7A (Varian), MAT and MAT 8230 (Finnigan-MAT GC/MS coupling, 70 eV) were applied and desorptive chemical ionization (DCI) spectra were obtained with MAT 8230 (Finnigan-MAT) using ammonia as reactant gas.
Syntheses