| Abstract: | Low molecular weight polymers of isobutene produced with stannic chloride as catalyst and phenols as cocatalysts have been subjected to ultraviolet and NMR analysis. A high proportion of the endgroups are derived from the phenol cocatalyst when the concentration of free phenol in the reaction mixture at ?78.5°C is fairly large. At low concentrations of free phenol, termination to give vinylidene endgroups becomes more significant. The results lend support to the suggestion that an important mode of termination in this polymerization system involves the reaction between a growing carbonium ion and the phenol cocatalyst. |
