Stereospecific polymerization of isobutyl vinyl ether by AlR3–VCln catalysts. I. Influence of preparative conditions of the catalysts

Abstract

AbstractThe polymerization of isobutyl vinyl ether by the VCln–AIR3 system was carefully studied. The vanadium components were prepared by the reaction between VCl4 and AlEt3 or n‐BuLi as a reducing agent. VCl3·LiCl and VCl2·2LiCl are the effective catalysts for the stereospecific polymerization of isobutyl vinyl ether. When VCl3·LiCl is combined with AlR3, a new catalytic system is formed. The effect of the preparative conditions of the various vanadium component in the AlR3–VCln system shows that the effective vanadium component is trivalent. In the polymerization by VCl3·LiCl–Al (i‐Bu)3 system, a change of the polymerization mechanism may occur at Al(i‐Bu)3/VCl3·LiCl ratio at around 5. When the ratio is lower than 5, a cationic polymerization by VCl3·LiCl takes place predominantly, while at ratios higher than 5, it is suggested that the polymerization proceeds by means of a VCl3·LiClA–Al(i‐Bu)3 complex by a coordinated anionic mechanism. The polymers obtained by these catalysts are highly crystalline. Styrene was also polymerized by using the same catalysts. VCl3·LiCl and VCl3·LiCl–THF complex yielded amorphous polymer by cationic polymerization. When VCl3·LiCl was combined with 6 mole‐eq of Al(i‐Bu)3, the resulting polystyrene was highly crystalline and had an isotactic structure, while the VCl2·2LiCl–Al(i‐Bu)3 (1:6) system yielded traces of polymer of extremely low stereoregularity. The results indicate that the effective vanadium component at Al/V ≧ 6 is trivalent and that the mechanism is a coordinated anionic one.