INITIATION MECHANISM OF THE COPOLYMERIZATION OF 1,3,5-TRIOXANE AND ETHYLENE-OXIDE

Initially, the initiation mechanism for the copolymerization of 1,3,5- trioxane (TO) and ethylene oxide proposed the formation of 1,3-dioxola ne from the reaction of ethylene oxide with formaldehyde, and this mec hanism was believed plausible for a long time. Recently, we carefully studied the bulk copolymerization of TO and ethylene oxide using boron trifluoride-dibutyl ether as the initiator. Two novel cyclic formals, 1,3,5,7-tetraoxacyclononane (TOCN) and 1,3,5,7, -10-pentaoxacyclodode cane (POCD), from the initiation reaction of the copolymerization of T O and ethylene oxide were isolated and identified. From this discovery , we proposed a new initiation mechanism for the copolymerization of T O and-ethylene oxide. Ethylene oxide reacts directly with TO to form T OCN and POCD. From TOCN, 1,3,5-trioxepane (TOXP) is formed, and from T OXP, 1,3-dioxolane is formed.