tert-Butyl Esters as Potential Reversible Chain Transfer Agents for Concurrent Cationic Vinyl-Addition and Ring-Opening Copolymerization of Vinyl Ethers and Oxiranes

tert-Butyl esters are demonstrated to function as chain transfer agents (CTAs) in the cationic copolymerization of vinyl ether (VE) and oxirane via concurrent vinyl-addition and ring-opening mechanisms. In the copolymerization of isopropyl VE and isobutylene oxide (IBO), the IBO-derived propagating species reacts with tert-butyl acetate to generate a copolymer chain with an acetoxy group at the omega-end. This reaction liberates a tert-butyl cation; hence, a polymer chain with a tert-butyl group at the alpha-end is subsequently generated. Other tert-butyl esters also function as CTAs, and the substituent attached to the carbonyl group affects the chain transfer efficiency. In addition, ethyl acetate does not function as a CTA, which suggests the importance of the liberation of a tert-butyl cation for the chain transfer process. Chain transfer reactions by tert-butyl esters potentially occur reversibly through the reaction of the propagating cation with the ester group at the omega-end of another chain.

Automated summary

tert-Butyl esters play a crucial role as chain transfer agents in the cationic copolymerization, liberating tert-butyl cations to facilitate the chain transfer process. The chain transfer reactions by tert-butyl esters potentially occur reversibly through the reaction of the propagating cation with the ester group at the omega-end of another chain.