| Abstract: | Trimethylene oxide was polymerized to polyoxytrimethylene glycol by two synthetic routes. High molecular weight polytrimethylene oxide was synthesized using a coordination catalyst system consisting of triethylaluminum, acetylacetone, and water, then ozonized and reduced with lithium aluminum hydride in anhydrous ether to form hydroxyl end-capped polyoxytrimethylene glycol. In the second route, the polyoxytrimethylene glycols were synthesized directly by the cationic polymerization of trimethylene oxide with boron trifluoride/ethyl ether as catalyst and 1,4 butanediol as co-initiator. (AB)n block copolyether–urethane–ureas based on these polyoxytrimethylene glycols were synthesized and characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, and dynamic mechanical and stress–strain measurements. |
