Nature of the catalytic centers in the polymerization of trifluoropropylene oxide in the presence of ferric chloride

Abstract

1. Trifluoropropylene oxide is capable of reacting with ferric chloride to form compounds that are centers both of cationic and of coordination-anionic polymerization. 2. The composition of copolymers of trifluoropropylene oxide with tetrahydrofuran and propylene oxide, produced in the presence of ferric chloride or its etherates, is determined chiefly by the cationic centers of polymerization. The coordination-anionic centers are capable of inducing the formation of regularly constructed crystalline homopolymers of trifluoropropylene oxide and epichlorohydrin even at room temperature.