Cationic polymerizations by aromatic initiating systems. III. Model reactions for initiation and termination using the t-BuCl/ϕ3Al and Clt-R-Clt/ϕ3Al systems

Preparatory for the synthesis of terminally functional polyisobutylenes carrying one or two phenyl end groups, model experiments have been carried out using novel tert-butyl chloride/triphenylaluminum and 2,6-dichloro-2,6-dimethylheptane/triphenylaluminum initiating systems. As anticipated, t-BuCl was phenylated by ø₃Al and the product is tert-butylbenzene. The reaction is extremely rapid and temperature has little effect on it in the 0 to ?60°C range. The interaction between the 2,6-dichloro-2,6-dimethylheptane and ø₃Al was found to be complicated by a proximity effect which leads to proton elimination in addition to phenylation. The formation of the desired diterminally phenylated product is not quanititative even at ?60°C.