Gel formation in cationic polymerization of divinyl ethers. II. 2,2-Bis{4-[(2-vinyloxy)ethoxy]phenyl}propane

Abstract

Cationic polymerization of 2,2-bis{4-[(2-vinyloxy)ethoxy]phenyl}propane [CH2CHOCH2CH2OC6H4C(CH3)2C6H4OCH2CH2OCHCH2; 2], a divinyl ether with oxyethylene units adjacent to the polymerizable vinyl ether groups and a bulky central spacer, was investigated in CH2Cl2 at 0°C with the diphenyl phosphate [(C6H5O)2P(O)OH]/zinc chloride (ZnCl2) initiating system. The polymerization proceeded quantitatively and gave soluble polymers up to 85% monomer conversion. In the same fashion as the polymerization of 1,4-bis[2-vinyloxy(ethoxy)]benzene (CH2CHOCH2CH2OC6H4OCH2CH2OCHCH2; 1) that we already studied, the content of the unreacted pendant vinyl ether groups of the produced soluble polymers decreased with monomer conversion, and almost all the pendant vinyl ether groups were consumed in the soluble products prior to gelation. Alternatively, endo-type double bonds were gradually formed in the polymer main chains by chain transfer reactions and other side reactions as the polymerization proceeded. The polymerization behavior of isobutyl vinyl ether (3), a monofunctional vinyl ether, under the same conditions, showed that the endo-type olefins in the polymer backbones are of no polymerization ability with the growing active species involved in the present polymerization systems. These results indicate that the intermolecular crosslinking reactions occurred primarily by the pendant vinyl ether groups, and the final stage of crosslinking process leading to gelation also may occur by the small amount of the residual pendant vinyl ether groups (supposedly less than 2%). The formation of the soluble polymers that almost lack the unreacted pendant vinyl ether groups is most likely due to the frequent occurrence of intramolecular crosslinking reactions. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 1931–1941, 1999