Studies in ring-opening polymerization. II. Cyclohexane spiro-5-1,3,2-dioxathiolan-4-one 2-oxide

The effect of spiro cyclohexane substitution on the polymerizability of the 1,3,2-dioxathiolan-4-one-2-oxide ring in various solvents has been examined. The steric hindrance of the cyclohexane ring inhibits the bimolecular chain propagation reaction which involves direct attack by a terminal hydroxyl group on the ring and which has been shown to occur in simpler dioxathiolan systems. The conjoined cyclohexane ring does not, however, markedly affect the “thermal” polymerization which occurs in nonhydroxylic solvents and in which chain propagation is thought to involve a reactive α-lactone intermediate. The rate-determining step in the sequence of reaction leading to polymer formation is a ring-scission process in which sulfur dioxide is evolved and the α-lactone intermediate formed. The values of the activation energy (25–30 kcal/mole) and frequency factor (10¹¹–10¹³sec^?1) associated with this reaction are, therefore, those which govern the the overall polymerization, since the subsequent steps are sensibly instantaneous. In the presence of adventitious traces of water the resultant polymer, poly(1-hydroxycyclohexanecarboxylic acid) has one carboxyl and one hydroxyl endgroup per chain. Polymers having M?_n ～ 15,000 are readily obtained; these are amorphous materials, in contrast to the analogous poly-β-ester and dialkyl-substituted poly-α-esters which are crystalline. At temperatures in excess of 120°C a competitive first-order fragmentation reaction leading to the formation of cyclohexanone, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide was observed. Kinetic studies demonstrated that this reaction, which is characterized by an activation energy of ～40 kcal/mole is unimportant, in the sense that it does not interfere with polymer formation at temperatures below 100°C.