Epoxide polymerization—IX. Styrene oxide polymerization using the diphenylzinc-water system in benzene at various temperatures

Abstract

The diphenylzine-water system was used as a catalyst for styrene oxide polymerization in benzene solution at 25, 60 and 90°. The system, as for polymerization of ethylene oxide or propylene oxide, is greatly influenced by the molar ratio of water to diphenylzinc; unlike the other monomers however diphenylzinc by itself produced the best yield to polymer and conversion to poly(styrene oxide) (PSO) diminished when water was added. GPC results confirm the presence of more than one active species for the system; 13C-NMR analysis indicates that the resulting PSO always has a head-to-tail arrangement, independent of the molar ratio of H 2O/Ph 2Zn. From viscometry results, a viscometric equation for PSO in chloroform at 40°, was derived, viz. [η] = 4.49 × 10 −5 × M v 0.873 .