BLOCK COPOLYMERIZATION OF ALKOXYALLENES BY THE LIVING COORDINATION SYSTEM WITH A PI-ALLYLNICKEL CATALYST

Block copolymers of alkoxyallenes were obtained in high yield by the t wo-stage living coordination polymerization of two kinds of alkoxyalle nes using an allylnickel catalyst. The resulting copolymers had narrow molecular weight distributions (similar to 1.1), regardless of the or der of the monomer additions. When an alkoxyallene-bearing hydrophilic substituent was used as a comonomer for the block copolymerization wi th that bearing a hydrophobic one, the resulting copolymer showed amph iphilic properties. For example, a block copolymer obtained by the cop olymerization of n-hexyloxyallene with diethylene glycol allenyl methy l ether was soluble in water as well as n-hexane. (C) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.