J. Matsuo et al., A NOVEL OBSERVATION IN ANIONIC RING-OPENING POLYMERIZATION BEHAVIOR OF CYCLIC CARBONATES HAVING AROMATIC SUBSTITUENTS, Macromolecular chemistry and physics, 199(11), 1998, pp. 2489-2494
The anionic ring-opening polymerization of six-membered cyclic carbona
tes having aromatic substituents, 5-methyl-5-phenyl-1,3-dioxan-2-one (
1) and 5,5-diphenyl-1,3-dioxan-2-one (2), was carried out. The anionic
homopolymerization of 1 readily proceeds to afford the corresponding
polycarbonate, while 2 showed only a slight homopolymerizability. This
is due to a rapid back biting reaction of the propagating polymer end
to form 2. The conformational restriction of the adduct of 2 with an
alkoxide, originating from the electrostatic repulsion between the alk
oxide anion and the pi electrons of the aromatic rings, might cause th
e rapid back biting reaction. The anionic copolymerization of 2 with 5
,5-dimethyl-1,3-dioxan-2-one (3) proceeds to afford the copolymer. The
anionic ring-opening polymerization of 1 was confirmed to be an equil
ibrium polymerization. Monomer 1 was regenerated up to the equilibrium
monomer concentration by depolymerization of poly(1). A volume expans
ion (10.8%) was observed during the polymerization of 1.