Polymerization of Cyclic Ethers Initiated by the Reaction of Cyclic Ether with Hexafluoropropylene Oxide

Abstract

The polymerization of cyclic ethers initiated by the reaction of cyclic ethers with hexafluoropropylene oxide (HFPO) were examined. When tetrahydropyrane (THP) was used as a monomer, the polymer could not be obtained.
When oxetane was used as a monomer, both yield and molecular weight of the obtained polymer were higher than those obtained in the polymerization using the other cyclic ethers as monomers. This is probably due to the highest homopolymerization reactivity of oxetane of the comonomers used.
The polymer obtained in the polymerization of PO had the different structure from that of the other polymers. The steric bulkiness and occurring of both α- and β-ring cleavage of PO probably lead to specific structure of the resulting polymer.