Macromolecules 1998-07-01

A Novel Synthesis of Poly(ester-alt-sulfide)s by the Ring-Opening Alternating Copolymerization of Oxiranes with gamma-Thiobutyrolactone Using Quaternary Onium Salts or Crown Ether Complexes as Catalysts.

Nishikubo, Kameyama, Kawakami

Index: Macromolecules 31(15) , 4746-52, (1998)

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Abstract

Poly(ester-alt-sulfide) (polymer 1) was synthesized by the alternating copolymerization of glycidyl phenyl ether (GPE) with gamma-thiobutyrolactone (TBL) catalyzed by either quaternary onium salts or crown ether complexes. The copolymerization proceeded to produce polymer 1 with good yields in neat or in various organic solvents at 30-120 degreesC, in which quaternary onium salts having Cl- as a counteranion such as tetrabutylammonium chloride (TBAC) had higher activity than quaternary onium salts such as tetrabutylammonium bromide having Br- as a counteranion. It was also found that the alternate copolymer (polymer 1) of GPE with TBL was obtained selectively under different feed ratios of GPE and TBL, although ring-opening homopolymerizations of GPE and TBL did not proceed. Copolymerizations of various oxiranes such as butyl glycidyl ether, styrene oxide, and 1,2-hexene oxide with TBL catalyzed by TBAC also proceeded, and the corresponding poly(ester-alt-sulfide)s (polymers 2, 3, and 4) were obtained under the same conditions as for the synthesis of polymer 1.