Automated parallel temperature optimization and determination of activation energy for the living cationic polymerization of 2-ethyl-2-oxazoline

Sixteen parallel polymerization reactions of 2-ethyl-2-oxazoline have been performed at different temperatures in an automated synthesizer that allowed individual heating of each reactor. During the reactions samples were taken automatically, which were characterized by means of both online GPC and offline GC, in order to optimize the reaction temperature and to determine the activation energy of the polymerization.