Bis(ethyl-3-Oxo-Butanolato-O1,O3) -bis(2-propanolato)titanium (tyzor) DCR) as a reactant and catalyst in the polymerization of 2-isocyanatoethyl methacrylate (IEM)

The reaction of bis(ethyl-3-oxo-butanolato-O¹,O³)-bis(2-propanolato)titanium(Tyzor DC^R and 2-isocyanatoethyl methacrylate (IEM) in refluxing hexane produced a mixture of trimer and polymers of 2-isocyanatoethyl methacrylate which varied considerably from 23 to 92% polymer as the molar ratio of bis(ethyl-3-oxo-butanolato-O¹,O³)-bis(2-propanolato)titanium(Tyzor DC^R) to 2-isocyanatoethyl methacrylate (IEM) varied from 1:4 to 1:32. The IEM 1-nylon polymer which was soluble in cresol and phenol was characterized by FTIR, ¹H-NMR, and ¹³C-NMR. This analysis also showed that the methacrylate carbon–carbon double bond survived our reaction conditions intact. Based on atomic absorption determination of titanium, the molecular weight of the polymer ranged between 3000 and 4000 g/mol. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) showed the polymer to be stable in air to approximately 250°C.