BF3•OEt2 in Alcoholic Media, an Efficient Initiator in the Cationic Polymerization of Phenyl-1,3-benzoxazines

3-Phenyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-1,3-benzoxazine (m(1)) underwent cationic ring opening polymerization using BF3 center dot OEt2 in alcoholic solution under mild conditions. The polymerization of m(1) proceeds through an intermediate hemiaminal ether leading mainly to the formation of polybenzoxazines with diphenylmethane bridges, and not only the classical Mannich-type ones. During the first stages of the reaction, low-molecular weight soluble oligomers containing benzoxazine rings are formed. At longer polymerization times, the propagation proceeds conventionally through the phenolic active sites. This polymerization mechanism is extensible to other substituted 3-phenyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-1,3-benzoxazines but fails in the case of 3-alkyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-1,3-benzoxazines or when the phenyl group in Position 3 have a substituent in the p-position. Spectroscopic studies and kinetic experiments using model reactions and deuterium labeled benzoxazines, allow proposing a plausible different polymerization mechanism. These soluble benzoxazine-containing polymers can be conveniently processed and impregnated on appropriate substrates before underwent crosslinking producing materials with comparable properties to those of conventional bis-benzoxazines. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 5075-5084