Polymerization of bis(3-trimethylsilyl-2-propynyl)ether and its copolymerization with diethyl dipropargylmalonate

Abstract

The polymerization of a cyclopolymerizable disubstituted dipropargyl ether, bis(3-trimethylsilyl-2- propynyl)ether (BTPE), was attempted by various transition metal catalysts. The yield for the polymerization of BTPE was generally low, which is possibly due to the steric hindrance of bulky substituents. In general, the catalytic activities of Mo-based catalysts were found to be greater than those of W-based catalysts. The highest yield was obtained when the MoCl5-EtAlCl2 (1 : 2) catalyst system was used. The copolymerization of BTPE and diethyl dipropargylmalonate yielded a random copolymer with conjugated polymer backbone. However the polymers were partially desilylated, depending on the reaction conditions. The thermal and morphological properties of the resulting polymers were also discussed.