Polymers from Bioderived Resources: Synthesis of Poly(silylether)s from Furan Derivatives Catalyzed by a Salen-Mn(V) Complex

Synthesis of degradable polymers from renewable resources has been a promising way to replace nonrenewable fossil fuel derived polymers motivated by environmental sustainability. Poly(silylether)s (PSEs) are a specific type of environmentally degradable polymer with many potential applications. A series of PSEs have been synthesized (M-n up to 25 000 g/mol) from biorenewable feedstocks, such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and its derivatives 2,5-bis-(hydroxymethyl)furan, 2,5-diformylfuran, and 5,5'-[oxybis-(methylene)]di(2-furaldehyde). The polymerization reactions employ a versatile, air-stable manganese salen complex, which catalyzes both the dehydrogenative cross-coupling of hydroxyls with hydrosilanes and the hydrosilylation of carbonyls. The chemical and thermal characterization of PSEs was carried out by H-1 NMR, C-13 NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis.