Cationic copolymerization of 3,3-bis(chloromethyl) oxetane with vinyl compounds

Copolymerizations of 3,3-bis(chloromethyl)oxetane (BCMO) with some vinyl compounds were carried out with cationic catalysts in various solvents to determine what kind of vinyl compound is able to copolymerize with BCMO. p-Methylstyrene (pMS), 2-chloroethyl vinyl ether (CEVE), α-methylstyrene (αMS), and isobutene (IB) were used as comonomers. The rate of consumption of each monomer was measured by gas chromatrography. Plots of copolymer composition in the copolymerization of BCMO with pMS were characterized by S-shaped curves in several solvents. As poly-BCMO is insoluble and the vinyl polymers are soluble in benzene, the polymers obtained were separated into benzene-soluble and benzene-insoluble fractions, and the composition of each fraction was determined by elemental analysis. It was found that pMS, CEVE and IB formed a copolymer with BCMO, but αMS produced no copolymer with BCMO. Thus the formation of copolymer between a cyclic ether and some vinyl monomers was observed by a cationic mechanism. The cross-propagation mechanism is discussed on the basis of these results.