Photoinitiated cationic polymerization of epoxy monomers in the presence of poly(3,4-epoxy-1-butene)

摘要

Hydroxyl-terminated poly(3,4-epoxy-1-butene) (polyEPB) is an interesting and highly useful agent for the acceleration of the photoinitiated cationic ring-opening polymerization of epoxide monomers. Kinetic investigations using real-time infrared spectroscopy have shown that the observed acceleration of the polymerization is due to two independent mechanisms. Crosslinking polymerization of epoxide monomers is accelerated due to an activated monomer mechanism that results in facile chain transfer due to interaction of the terminal hydroxyl groups of polyEPB with,the growing oxonium ion chain ends. A second mechanism involving participation of polyEPB in a free radical chain induced decomposition of the onium salt photoinitiator is mainly responsible for the observed acceleration in the rate of polymerization. A large number of polymer-bound carbocationic are generated by this mechanism,that are capable of initiating polymerization of the epoxide monomer. [References: 25]