The cationic ring-opening polymerization of trimethylene urethane (TU;
systematic name, tetrahydro-2H-1,3-oxazin-2-one, (I)) in the melt at
100 degrees C with methyl trifluoromethanesulfonate (TfOMe), trifluoro
methanesulfonic acid (TfOH), and BF3 . OEt(2) as initiators yields pol
y(trimethylene urethane) (poly(TU), (2)) with a uniform microstructure
. The reaction mechanism is examined for TfOMe and TfOH as initiators.
According to NMR spectroscopic results, with both initiators the poly
merization proceeds via an active chain end mechanism with protonated
cyclic endo iminocarbonates (5) as active species. The propagation ste
p involves a nucleophilic attack of the active species at the monomer
followed by a double isomerization process and regeneration of the act
ive species. The polymerization kinetics was investigated yielding a p
olymerization rate constant of 4.2 x 10(-4) L . mol(-1). s(-1) for the
TfOMe-initiated process. Comparison of the kinetic data of the TfOMe-
and the TfOH-initiated polymerizations reveals a qualitative and quan
titative difference. On the basis of ion trapping experiments this dif
ference is interpreted in terms of deviating initiation mechanisms. It
is shown that the polymerization of trimethylene urethane is accompan
ied by termination and transfer reactions. A transfer mechanism implyi
ng termination in a subsequent step is proposed.