Cationic ring-opening polymerization of five-membered cyclic thiocarbonate bearing an adamantane moiety via selective ring-opening direction

A novel five-membered cyclic thiocarbonate bearing adamantane moiety, 4,6-dioxatetracyclo-[6.3.1.1.O-3,10(3,7)]tridecane-5-thione (1), was synthesized from 1,2-adamantanediol and thiophosgene in the presence of pyridine. Monomer 1 underwent cationic ning-opening polymerization initiated by triethyloxonium tetrafluoroborate (Et3OBF4), methyl trifluoromethanesulfonate (TfOMe), trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TfOH), and H2O with 2 mol % of boron trifluoride etherate (BF3OEt2) in CH2Cl2 at 30 degreesC to afford the polythiocarbonate by isomerization of the thiocarbonyl group into a carbonyl group with selective ring-opening direction. The number-average molecular weight and polydispersity of the polymer obtained by polymerization with H2O/BF3OEt2 were 10 600 and 1.44, respectively. The temperature with 5% weight loss of the obtained polymer was 338 degreesC. Monomer I expanded as large as 14% during the polymerization.