Cationic Polymerization of Vinyl Ethers Containing an Oxyethylene Chain and a Urethane Linkage in Their Substituents

摘要

2-(2-vinyloxyethoxy)ethyl phenylcarbamate (VEEPC)and 2-[2-(2-vinyloxyethoxy)ethoxy] ethy phenylcarbamate (VEEEPC) were synthesized by the reactions of pheny isocyanate with di(ethylene glycol) mono vinyl ether, respectively, and were purified by molecular distillation. These new vinyl ethers with both an oxyethylene chain and a urethane group were polymerized under the various reaction conditions to investigate the possibility of their living polymerization. The HCl/ZnCl2-initiated polymerization of VEEPC proceeded in CH2Cl2at-30℃, where the number-average molecular weights (Mn's) of the product polymers were in direct proportion to monomer conversion. However, the polymer molecular weight distributions (MWDs) were somewhat broad (Mw/Mn=~1.25). The polymerization of VEEEPC may involve more side reactions to produce rather low-molecular-weight products under the same reaction conditions, although the Mn's of the polymers increased with increasing monomer conversion. The thermal and other properties of the obtained polymers were also studied.