Some New Copolymers by Ionic Polymerization

In the first part the cationic polymerization of a homologous series of cyclic ether–acetals with ring sizes of 11, 14, and 17 atoms is described. During the polymerization of triethylene glycol formal (TGF) an equilibrium is reached and besides high polymers cyclic oligomers are formed. The oligomers and the polymers are built up of a regular sequence of one oxymethylene unit and three oxyethylene units –[–(OCH2) (OC2H4)3–]–x. They are therefore be labelled a “sequenced copolymer.” The equilibrium concentrations of the cyclic oligomers with a polymerization degree from 2 to 15 follow the Jacobson–Stockmayer equation. The 14- and 17-membered monomers POC and HOC forms cyclic oligomers and h…