Cationic polymerization of isobutylene initiated by diol/boron trichloride systems

Abstract

Cationic polymerizations of isobutylene initiated by 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-hexane diol (HMD) and bis-para-2-hydroxy-2-propylbenzene (BPP)/BCl3 were carried out in CH2Cl2 solution at −30 °C, in presence or in absence of 2,6-ditert-butylpyridine (DtBP).IR, 1H NMR and C13 NMR analysis of the resulting polyisobutylenes (PIB) show the insertion of the diol skeleton in the polymers. GPC chromatograms show that the presence of DtPB prevents protonic initiation. The synthesis of PIB with phenolic end groups was carried out by alkylation of α, ω unsaturated oligoisobutylene in CH2Cl2 at −30 °C initiated by SnCl4. Previously,the alkylation was carried out on a model:2,2,4-trimethyl pentene (TMP). Spectroscopic analyses show that the alkylation takes place mainly on para-position. UV titration of phenyl ring and chemical titration of chlorine show that the functionality of PIB is 2.