Palladium-catalyzed synthesis of poly(bromoalkoxy- and bromoalkanoyloxymethylsiloxane)s from poly(hydromethylsiloxane)s

Palladium-catalyzed synthesis of poly(bromoalkoxymethyl- and bromoalkanoyloxymethylsiloxane)s from poly(hydromethylsiloxane)s was studied. Treatment of poly(hydromethylsiloxane)s with mixtures of allyl bromide and cyclic ethers in the presence of a catalytic amount of PdCl₂ gave the corresponding poly(bromoalkoxy)methylsiloxane]s in good yield. A similar reaction with γ-butyrolactone produced poly(bromobutanoyloxy)methylsiloxane], although the polymer was highly moisture-sensitive and could not be separated from the reaction mixture. Transformation of the bromoalkoxy unit in the resulting siloxane polymer into an aminoalkoxy group was also examined.